Living Emunah Podcast - Living Emunah By Rabbi David Ashear

Emor: Don't Leave

The pasuk says in this week’s parasha Emor ומן המקדש לא יצא – which means that a Kohen gadol is not allowed to leave the Bet HaMikdash in the middle of the avodah even if, lo alenu, he became a mourner for one of his seven closest relatives. And the reason for this command was because since the Kohen was in the middle of avodat Hashem, a person is not supposed to give anyone or anything more honor than Hashem and stopping in the middle of serving Him is a dishonor to Hashem. Rabbi Menashe Reizman quoted from Rishonim who teach us that even though we do not have the Bet HaMikdash today, there are still applications of this command ומן המקדש לא יצא. The idea is that we are not supposed to put anybody’s honor before Hashem’s and that applies in many circumstances. The entire Torah is made up of names of HaKadosh Baruch Hu. The Tana Diveh Eliyahu writes when a person is learning Torah, the Shechina is directly opposite him, kavayachol, learning with him. If the phone rings when a person is in the middle of learning with Hashem, he has an opportunity to practiceומן המקדש לא יצא and ignore the phone call. Or even better would be if he would turn off the phone before he even starts learning. When someone enters a meeting with an individual and before he starts talking to him he shuts off his phone to show him he wants to give him his full attention, that is a great form of respect. When a person is praying, he is standing directly in front of the Melech. There as well we could fulfill ומן המקדש לא יצא. Rav Yehuda HaChassid writes one of the ways in which we can fulfill this is by not leaving the shul until the completion of the entire tefila. Today, with technology, we now have opportunities that they did not have in the olden days. We can shut off our phone before we come in to pray. This is the way that we bring honor to Hashem. We not only believe in the fact that Hashem comes before anything else, but we also put that belief into action and demonstrate it by shutting everything else out other than Him. Ran Shimshon Pinkus, zatzal, wrote in his sefer Shaarim B’Tefila that he heard a beautiful story about a Rabbi in our generation. This Rabbi was traveling from Israel to America with a stopover in Paris. While in Paris he went over to a quiet place in the airport to pray and then, suddenly, in the middle of the Amida, he heard an announcement calling for the final boarding of his flight. Technically, he did have enough time to race through the rest of the tefila to make it if he wanted. He was in a very difficult test. To miss the flight would cost him potentially hours of time and inconveniences, not to mention the possibility of him losing his luggage. However, the Rabbi decided he is not going to change his tefila at all. He was in the middle of meeting with HaKadosh Baruch Hu and nothing in the world could be more important than that. Rav Pinkus did not conclude this story with any miraculous ending of the plane being delayed for some unforeseen circumstance, because in all probability, that Rabbi did miss that flight. The main gain was that he honored Hashem and he prayed a beautiful tefila. That is worth more than making any flight. Everyone in his own way can work on giving more honor to HaKadosh Baruch Hu. If we put our emunah in the fact that Hashem runs the world into practice, then it makes that emunah so much more valuable. Shabbat Shalom.

May 13, 2022

A Little Boost

When a person is able to have emunah and believe in beyond what meets the eye, it is a very precious avodat Hashem. The way that it seems, doctors and medications are what bring about people’s refuah , but we are supposed to believe that our health is completely in the hands of Hashem. Shulchan Aruch brings down a yehi ratzon which the poskim tell us a person is supposed to say before he takes any kind of medication or does anything in the area of hishtadlut to be healed. The yehi ratzon is a beautiful tefila and it also puts the person in the correct frame of mind, recognizing that it is really Hashem who is the one bringing the refua . When we believe that Hashem is the only one in charge, it is also a great segula which opens the gates of Shamayim and brings down beracha . Sometimes, that belief is the only obstacle holding back a person’s salvation and with a little chizuk , a person can attain it. Hashem could help us even to have emunah in Him. Rabbi Yechiel Spero told a story about a couple who was childless for a number of years. They had gone through many procedures and paid a lot of money. Their hopes were dashed time and time again and, eventually, their spirits crushed as well. One day, they were on the way home from yet another unsuccessful procedure and they didn’t know how much more of that they could handle. It seemed like their world was coming to an end. When they passed by a bus stop, they decided to pull over and offer someone a ride to his destination. In the back of their minds, they were hoping that if they show even a small amount of compassion to somebody else, perhaps in that zechut Hashem would bestow His compassion upon them, after all, Chazal say כל המרחם על הבריות מרחמים עליו מן השמיים – whoever is compassionate to people, Hashem shows them extra compassion. At first, the gentleman who they offered the ride to refused, not wanting to intrude on a married couple’s private time together. However, after the couple insisted, he took them up on their offer. Thankful that he wouldn’t have to sit on a bus for a long ride, he felt indebted to reciprocate to his benefactors. He decided to tell them a story that he once heard, with the moral being people who rely solely on Hashem merit to see His yeshuot . It was a very touching and uplifting story. When they arrived at his home, he thanked them and bid them a farewell. Six months later, this gentleman was on a bus and the man who gave him a ride home that day was on the same bus. He went over to him and said, “Do you remember me? I picked you up from a bus stop that day.” The man said, “Yes, I do.” He said he had been looking for him for a while now. He wanted to tell him about all that happened because of him. He first told him about all the difficulties he and his wife had encountered. And then said, particularly on that day that they picked him up, they had a big let down. The story that he told them in the car was the perfect message they needed to hear. They felt it was coming to them directly from Shamayim . They realized that they became too busy looking for all types of help and had put all of their faith in the doctors and procedures, rather than in Hashem. After hearing this man’s story. They resolved to strengthen themselves with emunah and, baruch Hashem, within a month they received the great news that his wife was expecting their first child. Believing in Hashem is truly wondrous. This couple needed a little boost and Hashem sent them the perfect shaliach to give it to them. If we are ever having trouble with our emunah, we can ask Hashem for help with that too.

May 12, 2022

Open All the Gates

During these days of sefirat ha’omer , we are supposed to be working hard on improving our mitzvot ben adam l’chavero . Chazal tell us shalom is so great that Hashem allows His sacred Name to be erased just to help bring peace between husband and wife. Bringing peace between people is the vehicle that is going to bring the Shechina out of it’s long exile. Chazal also say there is no vessel that can hold beracha other than shalom. It is incumbent upon us to be mivakesh shalom. We have to humble ourselves and forgive people, and humble ourselves and treat people with respect. Shalom opens all the gates of beracha . Rabbi Yaakov Shaish told a story which I most probably have told once before because I recognized it when I heard it, but hearing it again inspired me, so it can’t hurt to repeat. It began when a representative from a certain yeshiva in Israel came to Montreal to collect. Every year this Rabbi made his regular stops and collected enough for the yeshiva to operate. One year in Montreal at a wealthy man’s home, he noticed the man looking very depressed. He inquired about it and then the man broke down saying, “Look around, I have the most beautiful home but it’s empty because Hashem did not bless us with children.” The Rabbi started telling the man about different organizations that help with fertility. And then the man interrupted him saying, “Rabbi, you don’t understand. The doctors told us there is nothing wrong with me and there is nothing wrong with my wife. I’m pretty sure I know why this is happening to us. When I was in yeshiva in Israel one year on Purim, I was a little drunk and I started humiliating one of my friends there. I went on and on until that boy was too embarrassed, he couldn’t even show his face there. Later on I begged for forgiveness, but he adamantly refused. I have been trying year after year, but this person, who is now a man, refuses to even talk to me”. The Rabbi asked for this person’s information and said he would try to bring about shalom between them. When the Rabbi got back to Israel, he went to that man’s house. The moment he mentioned the reason for his visit, the man politely asked him to leave his home. The Rabbi said, “Please, this man regrets what he did, he is suffering now. He has no children and he desperately wants you to forgive him.” The man said, “I hope he never has children! Please leave.” As the Rabbi was walking out, he said “please allow me to tell you just one more thing. I know that after 120 you are going to face the Heavenly Court and at that time, any humiliation you ever went through will appear totally insignificant, it will not bother you in the slightest bit. Hashem is going to tell you, There was a Jew in Canada who desperately wanted to have children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren and he was begging you to help him. It was your hakpada that prevented all of those neshamot to enter into the world in his family. And when you’re there, I know you’re going to regret not forgiving him. But, it’s never too late. Now, you still have a chance to do it.” The man was silent and he asked the Rabbi to give him a minute to think. Fifteen minutes later he said, “Okay, I forgive him.” The Rabbi said, “No, that’s not enough, you have to tell him. Can I get him on the phone?” He said, “Okay.” The Rabbi dialed the number and then told the wealthy man he was there with his friend and he was ready to forgive him. The man took the phone and he said, “I don’t want to talk to you, but I want to tell you that I forgive you.” The wealthy man from Canada immediately began apologizing and expressing his remorse again and again. Then he asked if he could please give him a beracha to have children. At first this man said no way, but then the wealthy man began crying and begging. Finally the man agreed and he said, “May it be Hashem’s will that you have children.” By the end of that year, this man was holding his first child. There is nothing in the world that can hold blessing like shalom.

May 11, 2022

8 Billion Messengers

There are times when a person finds himself in a tough situation and doesn't see any way of getting out of it. In the past, he had someone to turn to for help but now that person is no longer around. The Maggid of Dubno gives a mashal that can give us chizuk for these types of situations. He said a poor man has to take care of all of his own needs, whether it is cooking, cleaning, or any other type of household chore; he’s the one who has to get it done. A rich man, however, doesn’t involve himself with these types of chores because he has hired help to take care of them. When mealtime arrives, his housekeeper sets the table, when it is over, she cleans it up. She does the laundry, the vacuuming, and so on. But even better than a wealthy man is a king. He doesn’t just have hired help, he has a different person for every single task that needs to get done, one person’s a chef, the other is a butler, one’s in charge of his stables, one’s in charge of cleaning, and the list goes on. But even better than a king is the מלך מלכי המלכים הקב"ה ! Hashem has every single person in this world working for Him, and if we ever need help, all He has to do is use one of the 8 billion people on this planet who are at His disposal, and give it to us through them. We should never feel helpless because someone who used to help us is nothing more than just one of the 8 billion people. A woman told me her brother excelled in the mitzvah of kibud av v’em. He took care of his father day and night until his father passed away. In the past, when this man had a big expense, like the wedding of a child, his father’s good friend would always give him $5000 to help. Recently, this man was making a wedding, but now that his father was gone, there was no more connection to that friend any more and he didn’t have any other source of help for the money he needed so badly. When someone has been counting on a certain source for help and that source is no longer available, the person usually feels a sense of hopelessness. This man, however, knew that his real source of help was, is, and will always be Hashem and therefore he channeled his energy towards asking Him for help. A different, much younger, man named Shalom Hyman, who was very fond of this man’s father, found out that this man needed help for his wedding. Shalom, on his own, approached him and handed him an envelope with $7500 in it to help him with the wedding. Shalom is an entertainer, especially for children, who brings smiles to people’s faces at parties and events. And when he gave this man the money, he brought the biggest smile to his face. The woman telling this story felt that it was so clear. Her brother took such good care of her father while he was alive and now, from the Olam HaEmet , her father was involved, sending someone else to come and help him. Of course we know the real source of help was our Father in Shamayim who is always the one who helps. We never have to feel desperate or that we have no one to help us because at all times, in all places, Hashem is available to help.

May 10, 2022

Endless Blessings

It is true that every mitzvah we do earns us endless rewards, however, Chazal have taught us that the best type of avodat Hashem is one that is not motivated by rewards or what we can get out of it. To put it in our terms, nobody likes others doing things on their behalf when, ultimately, those people are just using them to try to get their own needs taken care of. The best way to serve Hashem is with feelings of hakarat hatov , feelings that we are the ones who owe Him and it is our greatest privilege to be able to show our gratitude by following His will. If someone would give a person a million dollars as a gift and then afterwards ask him for a favor to pick up his child from school, the person would be so eager to do that favor, not because he thinks he is going to get more, but rather because he already feels so indebted, he can’t wait to show some form of appreciation. This is how we have to feel every time we come to do any kind of avodat Hashem. Hashem does endless kindnesses for us every moment of the day. The Chovot HaLevavot in the Shaar HaBechina describes dozens of chassadim that Hashem does for us that without them being pointed out, we would never even realize. One of them is, based on a Gemara which says that Hashem decreed על המטבע שיצא – that currency should be an acceptable form of payment. This is not just a chesed , it is a wonder of creation. It used to be when people wanted to buy something, they would only be able to trade with what they had. Some people had wheat fields, some barley, some people owned cows and others owned sheep. If the sheep owner needed wheat and the wheat owner needed wool, they would be able to barter with each other. It was very cumbersome to have to bring all of one’s commodities to the marketplace each time he needed something. Then, at one point, Hashem put into the minds of man to give value to metals like gold and silver. A shiny rock that can’t help a person in any way all of a sudden became a prized possession. That made it so much easier for people to buy things and also helped people who didn’t own fields or the like who were now able to make purchases. And then, at a later point in history, Hashem did another wonder, He made all people in the world value the common currency which is nothing more than a piece of paper. People will work day in and day out anticipating receiving those papers at the end of the week or the end of the month. This is a chesed of Hashem. Now, it is so easy to get things done through hiring people and it is so easy to make purchases. Because Hashem made everyone agree to give these papers value they became valuable. The greatest chesed of all that Hashem did for us is that He gave us the Torah. Besides all of the endless rewards which come along with it, it also gives us meaning and purpose to every moment of our lives. The entire world is searching for meaning, there are so many people who feel empty and purposeless. How fortunate are we that we have purpose in everything we do. From the moment we wake up, we have what to say, how to wash, how to get dressed. We are able to feel that great sense of accomplishment and satisfaction with every mitzvah that we do. For someone to feel real, inner satisfaction is the greatest blessing and Hashem gave that to each and every one of us. We always know Hashem is watching us and appreciating everything we do and that gives us the greatest chizuk . There are thousands of blessings Hashem gives us that we don’t even recognize and that’s besides for all the obvious blessings that He gives all people. Somebody said the other day, “I take everything I have for granted,” and he went on to list the most beautiful blessings that he has. And he was bemoaning the fact that he wished he could appreciate more, rather than always focusing on the one thing that he is missing. This is a big task but it is very doable. We are the ones who control our thoughts and we have the ability to focus the right way. We can open up the Shaar HaBechina and start seeing all of these great chasadim that the Rabbi points out to us. May Hashem help us serve Him all the time with true feelings of hakarat hatov .

May 9, 2022

Produce Wonders

It is apparent from the Gemara in Masechet Berachot daf 20 that when a person is moser nefesh and gives up of himself to follow the will of Hashem, that makes the person worthy of receiving a miracle from Hashem. Rav Shemuel Razovsky, the Rosh Yeshiva of Ponovitch, explained the connection between the two based on the Malbim in this week’s parasha, Kedoshim, explaining the words of the midrash אם מקדשים אתם עצמכם, מעלה אני עליכם כאילו קידשתם אותי . Says the Malbim on those words, if we will rise above our nature of being drawn towards physicality, and rather sanctify ourselves with spirituality, then kavayachol, Hashem will rise above the way He made this world, which operates according to the rules of nature and He will deal with us in a way that transcends nature. On a Shabbaton of teenage girls who were struggling with religion, Rav Chaim Zayid made an inspirational speech encouraging the girls to go above and beyond their limitations. One of the suggestions the Rabbi made was in regard to their use of smartphones. After the speech, on Sunday morning, one of the girls approached the Rabbi and said she had just spent 4000 shekel on a brand new phone. “It’s very difficult for me to get rid of it now,” she explained. “Do you know how hard I had to work for that 4000 shekel?” Then she said, “I might be willing to do it, but on one condition,” she said she had a sister who was 18 months old and a short while before this contracted a dangerous virus which affected her breathing. The doctors were saying her lungs weren’t operating properly and there was nothing they could do to change it. It was just a matter of time until it would be over. Her mother sits by her bed day and night and she won’t leave her for a moment. She asked the Rabbi to end everyone’s suffering and ask Hashem to take back her sister’s neshama as quickly as possible. The Rabbi was taken aback by the request. He said, “Although the doctors have no hope, we always have hope.” He then added, “You are now going above your nature and you are going to accept something upon yourself lima’an Hashem. B’ezrat Hashem, Hashem will go above nature and heal your sister.” In the middle of the next week, Rabbi Zayid was not surprised when he received a phone call that, miraculously, the baby began breathing on her own and in an amazing turn of events, the doctors were proven wrong and she made a full recovery. Going above our nature is truly wondrous. I heard a story about Rav Chaim Kreisworth when he was younger. The Rabbi who related the story said that Rabbi Kreisworth had to wait over a year to receive a bed in the yeshiva he was learning at. He used to walk back and forth every day a long distance to his lodgings and it was a very big inconvenience. Finally, a bed opened up, but shortly after that, another boy came to the yeshiva and he was searching for a bed. He asked the young Rabbi Kreisworth how he could get a bed. When the Rabbi told him it could take a very long time, he became saddened. The boy then asked, “Maybe someone who has a place to stay would give me his bed?” Heroically, Rabbi Kreisworth gave this boy his own bed that he waited so patiently for. Later on, when the Nazis, yimach shemam, invaded, one of the soldiers seized Rabbi Kreisworth and took him to his commanding officer. This officer was known to shoot every Jew who was brought to him, on the spot. This time, however, he told the soldier to take him to the outskirts of the town and kill him there. While Rabbi Kreisworth was being led there, he said to Hashem, “Please have mercy on me. I know I don’t deserve anything, but please, in the merit that I gave up my bed that was so hard for me, please let me live.” When the soldier had him there at the edge of the town, he fired three shots into the air to make it seem as though he shot his prisoner and then he told him to run. Rabbi Kreisworth ran throughout the night until he reached a point of safety. He eventually survived the war and went on to become a great Torah leader. Mesirut nefesh produces wonders. Shabbat Shalom.

May 6, 2022

Odds Don’t Matter

Hashem has many ways of helping people, and even when the odds for salvation seem unlikely, it does not deter us from hoping and praying because when it comes to Hashem we know odds don’t matter. Hashem can use the most unlikely means to help a person and we have seen it with our eyes again and again. There’s a kollel in Bayit V’Gan Israel called Nezer Aharon. One of their main supporters lives in America. Besides for his annual pledge, he usually donates additional money at each holiday to give the Rabbis a bonus to help them pay for their extra expenses. One particular year, although he was able to give his annual pledge, he was not able to give the Yom Tov bonus. He apologized to the Rosh Kollel saying that his business wasn’t doing as well as it was in previous years. The very next day, this man went out to sit on his porch and saw a cat sitting in his chair. He tried to get rid of the cat but it wouldn’t leave. He called his caretaker to get rid of it. A few minutes later, as he was reading the newspaper, he noticed an ad about a lost cat, promising a large reward for its return. He realized that was the cat that was just sitting on his porch. He sent his caretaker to go find it and then he called the owners. They came over with tears in their eyes, thanking him for saving their cat. Then, the owner of the cat took out his checkbook and wrote out a check for $12,000 and handed it to him. The man thanked this cat owner and then immediately called the Rosh Kollel and said, “Please, Rabbi, give out the bonuses, Hashem sent the money just in time.” Hashem could even use a cat to bring salvation. A man, who we’ll call Joe, told me he is starting out in the real estate business and he found a building which he really thought would benefit his company. He put in a bid for the building. The owner told him he really wanted to sell it to a much larger and established firm and he also had a higher bid on the table already. Joe told this owner he is very reputable and he would love to do business with him. The odds of this deal happening looked very slim. The building owner decided to contact someone he knows who is very big in real estate to ask him if he knew anything about Joe. As hashgacha would have it, the person he called was Joe’s lifelong friend, they grew up together and they are still the best of friends. He gave them a glowing report about Joe and now they are chasing him to close the deal. That was probably the one man in the entire world that they both knew. And he was the one called. הרבה שלוחים למקום . The same man told me that his son had been learning in Israel for years and expressed his desire to permanently live there. He came to visit his parents in Brooklyn shortly before Covid broke out and then he got stuck there. When the Covid restrictions started easing up, his parents urged him to start dating and get married. He told his parents he only wanted a girl who was ready to live in Israel and in the tight-knit community they lived in, that would be highly unlikely. He wanted to wait until he got back to Israel to find his zivug there, but time kept passing and he still wasn’t able to go back. His parents searched and searched for a girl who would consider possibly moving to Israel. Turns out, they found someone who lives practically down the block from them and this girl wanted to live in Israel even more than their son did. Her parents had to tell her not to agree to get married just because she found someone who wants to live in Israel. They went out and, baruch Hashem, they got married and they moved to Israel. No matter how slim a possibility seems to be, when it comes to Hashem, everything is always possible.

May 5, 2022

Access Secret Information

The pasuk says סוד ה' ליראיו ובריתו להודיעם – Hashem has made a covenant with the tzaddikim of every generation that He informs them of certain secrets that other people are not privy to know. Our tzaddikim are able to see things that we can’t and that is one of the reasons that we go to them to seek guidance and counsel. Rabbi Ilan Guzel told that when his brother Sagi passed away, they invited the great tzaddik Rav Bentzion Musafi, shlita , to give words of chizuk in his memory towards the end of the shiva . The Rabbi told them he had to leave at 10:00 sharp to go give a different shiur . The gathering took place on a Motzei Shabbat in the Beit Hakeneset Ahavat Yisrael and the room was packed with nearly 1000 people. At 9:58, Rabbi Musafi picked up his water to take a sip, but instead his hand began to shake and it slipped out and spilled on the floor. The Rabbi then continued speaking for an additional 30 minutes. Rabbi Guzel couldn’t believe that the Rabbi was going overtime, being that he said he had to leave at 10:00 sharp. After the shiur , Rabbi Guzel asked Rabbi Musafi about how he was able to stay extra. Rabbi Musafi replied, when he picked up his cup of water, suddenly he saw Sagi ז"ל , the niftar , standing right in front of him saying, “Please don’t end, you’re giving me such nachat ruach from this class right now.” That’s when he dropped his cup and that’s why he had to go overtime. He was able to see things that no one else in that room was able to see. A man told me, ten years ago he wanted to get the Lasik eye correction surgery so he wouldn’t need glasses anymore. As always, before he makes any major decisions, he consults with Rabbis. This time, he asked a certain Rabbi if it would be okay to proceed and, strangely, the Rabbi told him he should not get the procedure done. It was something he really wanted to do, but in deference to the Rabbi, he held back. That summer, he was playing in a tennis match and, during the game, a ball was hit extremely hard that went right into one of his eyes. He was in considerable pain and his eyesight got skewed. He went to an ophthalmologist to be diagnosed. The doctor told him he is very fortunate that he is still able to see out of that eye, after assessing the damage that was caused and the damage that could have been caused. The man then told the doctor that he almost got the Lasik surgery a few months before and wanted to know if that would have changed anything. The doctor told him, “If you would have gotten that surgery, for sure you would be blind in one eye right now.” That is when the man realized that this tzaddik was able to see what he couldn’t. The Rabbi was able to save his eyesight because Hashem showed him secret information that only great Rabbis are privy to. Through a person’s Torah learning, and praying and fulfilling mitzvot and staying pure, he is given abilities by Hashem that others do not get. A man told me when his daughter was just two years old she had to wear extremely thick glasses which made her stand out like a sore thumb. Anyone who saw her immediately felt pity for her. She had a rare eye condition that required such a high prescription just for her to be able to see. When this man was on a trip to Israel, he took his little daughter to see Rav Chaim Kanievsky, zatzal . When the Rabbi saw her glasses, he asked why she was wearing them. The man told him she had an eye ailment. The Rabbi then gave her a beracha and told the man, “Don’t worry, she’s going to be fine.” At that point, he did not realize the extent of the Rabbi’s words. A few months later, when he took his daughter to her regular checkup, the doctor started calling others into the room. The young father was getting nervous. The doctor then said to everyone, “We are witnessing a modern miracle. This little girl went from a prescription of over 700 and she now sees 20/20.” Everyone there was in awe. We are blessed to have tzaddikim in our generation and we should take advantage of them by seeking their guidance and counsel and berachot .

May 4, 2022