Living Emunah By Rabbi David Ashear – Détails, épisodes et analyse

The pasuk in this week's Parashat Shelach tells us that the Meraglim (spies) came to a place called נחל אשכול , the Valley of the Cluster, and there they removed a massive cluster of grapes. This enormous cluster was later used to frighten the Jewish people, as the spies described the giants who inhabited the land and implied that Bnei Yisrael had no chance of conquering it. Then the pasuk says the place was named אשכול —"Cluster"—because of the cluster they took. But the Sefer Minchat Ani asks an important question: it seems the place was already called נחל אשכול before the cluster was taken, as the Torah says they arrived at the Valley of Eshkol before picking the grapes. The Midrash resolves this by explaining that the place was already called Eshkol, all the way back to the time of Avraham Avinu. The Midrash quotes the pasuk " מגיד מראשית אחרית "—Hashem reveals the end from the beginning—and teaches us that Hashem sees the past, present, and future all at once. One of Avraham's close companions was named Eshkol, and Hashem placed that name in the minds of Eshkol's parents because of the future cluster that would be taken by the Meraglim in that very location. But this raises an obvious question: why? Why would Hashem cause a man to be named "Eshkol" because of an event that would occur hundreds of years later? The Minchat Ani brings another Midrash that sheds light on this. When Avraham was commanded to perform a brit milah , he consulted his three friends. Aner told him not to do it—he was too old to harm himself. Eshkol warned that if he did it, he would be weakened and vulnerable to attack. But the third friend, Mamre, encouraged him, saying: "The same Hashem who saved you from the fiery furnace, from the four kings, from famine—He is now commanding you. He will protect you." This powerful moment became a lesson passed down through generations. Every Jewish child would grow up learning how Avraham courageously performed the brit milah , how Mamre showed emunah , and how Aner and Eshkol doubted. And now, centuries later, that same test returned. The Meraglim echoed the voices of Aner and Eshkol, casting doubt on Hashem's power to bring them safely into Eretz Yisrael. They cut the Eshkol—the very cluster that symbolized the mistake of the man Eshkol from generations before. And just like Mamre, Caleb stood up and proclaimed his emunah , telling the people that Hashem, who had always protected them, would continue to do so. Hashem arranged it all—placing the Meraglim at the same site as Eshkol's legacy, giving them a chance to correct the mistake of the past. This wasn't random. Their test had been developing for centuries. Nothing in this world happens by chance. Every test a person faces is custom-designed by Hashem, planned with precision before that person even enters the world. We have no idea how much our actions matter, how intentional each situation is, and how carefully Hashem prepares our challenges. In the case of the Meraglim , Hashem gave them every opportunity to succeed. He placed them at Nachal Eshkol , at the exact site where history had already taught the lesson they needed to learn. But they failed. Still, the message for us remains: Tests are given to make us great. Hashem not only gives us challenges, but also provides us with the strength, wisdom, and circumstances to overcome them. Every test we face is hand-tailored to help us grow, elevate ourselves, and earn eternal reward. If we internalize this, we'll face our own tests with clarity and strength. And with Hashem's help, we'll overcome them—and fulfill our unique mission in this world. Shabbat Shalom.

In a world filled with potential dangers, it's only natural for parents to worry about their children when they leave the house. Some are overwhelmed by fear, constantly imagining the worst, and this robs them of peace of mind. But a parent must recognize a fundamental truth: even when a child is physically near them, it is not the parent who provides protection—it is Hashem. He watches over us, and He watches over our children. And if, chas v'shalom , harm ever does befall a child, we believe with emunah sheleimah that it would have happened regardless of where the child was or who was with them. It is never the circumstances themselves that bring about outcomes. Everything happens only through the word and will of Hashem. Every day, there are countless unseen miracles where Hashem protects children—sometimes found in naïvely dangerous situations, yet guarded from harm. Knowing this should bring us calm: wherever our children are, Hashem is with them. As it says in Tehillim: " הנה לא ינום ולא יישן שומר ישראל " —Behold, the Guardian of Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps. A Rebbe in a yeshivah shared a remarkable story. He had a student with a severe allergy to milk products. The Rebbe admitted that it was impossible to personally guarantee that not even a crumb of dairy would reach this child—but he did his best and placed his trust in Hashem, the true Guardian. Still, the Rebbe took every precaution. Any student sitting near the allergic boy during lunch was required to notify him if they brought dairy. Most of the time, those nearby were considerate and only brought parve food. However, mistakes do happen. One day, a boy who sat next to him noticed he had dairy and immediately informed the Rebbe . The Rebbe called the allergic boy over to sit beside him instead. When the boy opened his lunch, the Rebbe noticed what looked like an American cheese sandwich. The boy was about to take a bite when the Rebbe quickly stopped him. The boy insisted, "It must be parve. My parents know not to send me dairy." But the Rebbe , not taking any chances, called the boy's home. The mother was alarmed. She said there may have been a terrible mistake—her other son had requested a cheese sandwich that morning, and it was possible the lunch bags had been switched. Sure enough, the sandwich contained real cheese. Baruch Hashem , on the very day the allergic boy accidentally brought a cheese sandwich, his friend also "accidentaly" brought dairy and reported it, triggering the Rebbe to call the allergic boy over—averting a potentially life-threatening situation. It was clearly the hand of Hashem. Hashem is our constant protector. He knows every danger and precisely how to guard us from it. Another story illustrates this beautifully. A woman shared that one evening, about a half hour before sunset, she and her husband decided to go for a walk in a forest near their home. While walking, they encountered three little boys who approached them, asking how to get back to the road. After speaking with them, the couple realized these were three six-year-old boys who were completely lost and had no idea how to exit the forest. They escorted them safely back and then called one of the mothers to let her know her children were with them. The mother was deeply grateful. She had been driving around searching for them in a panic. It was min hashamayim that this couple had decided—at that exact moment—to go for a walk. Hashem had arranged for His messengers to find those boys and lead them to safety. As it says: " כי מלאכיו יצוה לך לשמרך בכל דרכיך " —For He will command His angels concerning you, to guard you in all your ways. It is not our job to live in constant fear. Our responsibility is to pray, to trust in Hashem, and to remember that no matter where our children—and we—are, we are always under His watchful care.

At the end of this week's Parashat Naso , the Torah goes into great detail describing the donations brought by the Nesi'im to inaugurate the Mishkan. Remarkably, each Nasi brought the exact same offering, yet the Torah repeats the full list of items again and again—spanning about 56 pesukim . Why such repetition? The Torah is teaching us a profound lesson: Hashem treasures the efforts of every individual . Even when people perform a mitzvah as part of a group, Hashem values the actions of each person separately. In a shul, there might be hundreds of people reciting the same words, but to Hashem, every word uttered by each person is uniquely precious. There is no such thing as Hashem getting "bored" of repetition. He cherishes everything we say and everything we do—every tefillah, every act of kindness, every mitzvah. The same applies when we experience His presence in our lives. Even when similar moments of hashgachah peratit repeat, each one feels new and meaningful. We're often moved by others' stories of hashgachah , and they awaken in us a desire to see Hashem's hand in our own lives too. Sometimes, we think: Those stories are inspiring, but they never happen to me. Yet we are encouraged to always hope and pray that they do. About a month ago, a story circulated about a chatan who wished to feel his late father's presence at his wedding. Miraculously, around that time, someone from Israel arrived in New York with a letter that the chatan's father had written decades earlier. Through an incredible sequence of events, the letter ended up in the hands of this chatan —dated with the exact date of his wedding. The letter, addressed to a chatan on his wedding day, was written by his father years earlier on that very same Hebrew date. The message felt as though it had come directly from his father, offering blessings from shamayim . This story was shared at a siyyum on Masechet Bava Metzia . In the crowd sat a man named *Yaakov. Hearing the story, he silently wished that he too could receive something from his late father, who had passed away over 20 years ago. The very next day, as Yaakov opened his mail, he noticed an envelope that looked like another routine request. But inside, to his astonishment, was a handwritten letter—written by his father 50 years earlier to a close friend. That friend had just discovered the letter while cleaning for Pesach and thought it would be meaningful to send it to the son of his old friend. Yaakov was overwhelmed. He couldn't stop reading the letter. As he reached the bottom, he noticed a few words written in the opposite direction—a postscript from his father asking his friend where he was up to in Masechet Bava Metzia . Yaakov was stunned. He had just returned from a siyyum on Bava Metzia , where he had wished for a message from his father. Still in disbelief, Yaakov went to his sefarim shelf and opened his Gemara Bava Metzia . Inside was a sticky note marking that he still had to complete pages 50 through 54. It was as if his father was reminding him: Your siyyum isn't complete yet—finish it properly. In that moment, he felt a powerful connection, a personal hashgachah that touched his soul. Yes, the stories we hear really can happen to us. Hashem treasures everything we do, and we are uplifted when we recognize His presence in our lives. May we always feel close to Hashem. May we always sense His guidance. And may we continue to be inspired by the miracles—big and small—that surround us every day. Shabbat Shalom.

The story is told that on one Erev Rosh Hashanah, Rav Bunim of Peshischa came to his Rebbe, the Chozeh of Lublin, to receive a berachah. However, he noticed that the Chozeh was hesitant. At the time, Rav Bunim had a successful business, but the Chozeh revealed to him that he had seen a decree in Heaven that during the coming year, Rav Bunim would lose all of his parnassah. On Yom Kippur, Rav Bunim poured out his heart in tefillah, with sincere tears and deep emotion. Though his business later faced serious challenges and was nearly shut down, not only was it saved — his parnassah actually doubled. When Rav Bunim returned to the Chozeh on Erev Pesach, the Rebbe greeted him warmly and told him he knew with certainty that Rav Bunim's tefillah on Yom Kippur had shaken the heavens and changed the decree from hardship to great blessing. This story reminds us that our tefillot can do wonders, but only if we truly believe in their power. The Nefesh Shimshon explains that when Avraham Avinu established the tefillah of Shacharit, he didn't merely create a morning prayer; he infused it with his own spiritual energy and power. Every time we pray Shacharit, we do so with the merit and spiritual momentum of Avraham Avinu behind us. The same is true for Yitzchak Avinu, who established Minchah, and Yaakov Avinu, who established Arbit. These tefillot were not only composed — they were charged with the deepest essence of the Avot, and that strength continues to support our prayers today. Similarly, every time a person opens a Tehillim, they are not just reading words on a page — they are connecting to the neshama of David HaMelech. Each word of Tehillim is imbued with his spiritual strength, his longing, his struggles, and his closeness to Hashem. Hashem is already close to us, waiting to hear our every word. But now we understand that our tefillot are not coming from us alone — they are carried by the koach of those who established them. Chazal teach us that there is special power in a tefillah that comes with kavanah and tears. When we realize just how valuable our prayers are and how much they can accomplish, we gain new strength and motivation to pray with deeper emotion and sincerity. One woman shared her personal experience: she had been struggling with shidduchim for years. The suggestions that came her way were few and far between, and none of them seemed right. Still, she prayed daily to Hashem to send her the right zivug. What kept her emotionally afloat was the fact that she had good friends that she was close to, and then one day out of nowhere, one of her closest friends who had gotten married told her she would no longer be able to continue their relationship. This news was devastating to her. She spoke to this friend every day. She was her lifeline of support. Shortly afterward, she traveled to Eretz Yisrael. Before returning home, she went to the Kotel to pray. Instead of complaining and bemoaning her fate, she decided to channel all of her pain and emotion into the most heartfelt tefillah. She cried to Hashem for her zivug and in her words, it was the most powerful tefillah she had ever made. The very next day, upon returning home, she received a call from a shadchan with a new suggestion — the man she would soon marry. These stories illustrate that tefillah has the power to change everything. It is up to us to believe that Hashem is listening, and that every word we say matters. We are never alone. When we pray with heart and connect genuinely to Hashem, we can draw down brachot that are far beyond anything we could expect. As the pasuk says: קָרוֹב ה' לְכָל־קֹרְאָיו לְכֹל אֲשֶׁר יִקְרָאֻהוּ בֶאֱמֶת (Tehillim 145:18) Let us strengthen ourselves to approach tefillah not as a routine, but as a living bridge to the Ribbono Shel Olam — a moment to pour out our soul, to draw from the merit of the Avot and tzaddikim, and to unlock the gates of blessing with every sincere word we say.

I once spoke to a person who considered himself an older single. He was completely consumed with the fact that he was still not married. He did not want to hear anything other than advice or a segula on how he could get married. He said he was unable to concentrate on anything else in life and resolved to basically be completely unproductive until he gets married. It wasn't something he was happy about, but he said he just wasn't able to focus on anything else. I told him life is so much bigger than just getting what we want. It is true that marriage is a mitzvah and will help a person with his avodat Hashem, but if he is doing his part in trying to get married, but it is just not working out, that means for the time being, it's Hashem will for him to serve Him without being married. If he thinks he can't function without being married, he'll be missing out on a major part of his purpose in this world. His job now is to do everything in his power to live the way a Jewish man is supposed to live. The value of a person's avodah when it is hard is infinitely greater than when it is easy. Of course it is hard to want to do anything else when our will is not being fulfilled, but precisely because it is so hard, that is where all the glory lies. When a person perseveres under duress, he will see that that time in his life made him into the person he was meant to become. I once read a mashal of a dove that was born without wings. The dove was in a depressed state because all of its relatives and friends were able to fly wherever they wanted while it was stuck in its place. It was even hard for this dove just to walk. Its friends and family would go out flying all day long, seeing the most beautiful sights, and at evening time, when they would return, they would talk about all the beautiful places they saw that day. This poor dove without wings would just sit there and cry, feeling bad that it wasn't able to experience the same pleasures that everyone else was. One day, this dove couldn't take it anymore and cried out to Hashem from the bottom of its heart, begging Him to give it wings. And sure enough, the next morning, when the dove woke up, there were two big wings that grew on either side of it. But this bird was not accustomed to flying and it didn't know that what appeared to be large obstacles on its sides were really the wings it was hoping for. So, as always, it began to walk, but now walking was so much harder with those heavy burdens on its sides. When it felt it couldn't continue on, the dove looked up towards Shamayim and said, "My loving Father in Heaven, is it not bad enough that I am unable to fly like everybody else, but now I also have to have trouble walking with these heavy burdens at my sides?" A Heavenly voice then called out, "My precious little bird, I did not give you any burdens. I gave you the wings that you have been yearning for. Start flapping them and you will soar to the greatest heights." That is the mashal . The nimshal is, sometimes people feel that the life they were given is a huge burden that is weighing them down. All they want to do is complain and have things change. But if they would be able to hear a Heavenly voice, the voice would say, "What you have is not a burden. That's what you need to be able to soar. Flap your wings, produce in the circumstances that you are put in and that will prove to be your greatness." We hope that everybody will eventually get what they are yearning for, but in the meantime, we must not blow the opportunity to become great in the circumstances we currently find ourselves in.

When it comes to our physical needs, we are encouraged to make a basic effort and then rely on Hashem for the results. We know we'll never lose out by making the hishtadlut that Hashem wants us to make. In the business world, many people might say if you don't cut corners and bend some rules you won't be able to make money. We say, we don't need to deceive or lie to earn parnasa. Hashem decides who gets what, and if we follow His rules we'll always get everything that's meant for us to get. We make a basic effort according to halacha, and then we trust that Hashem will send what He wants us to have. Yet, when it comes to our spiritual lives, we are encouraged to make as much of an effort as possible. If we want to know Torah, we can't make a bare minimum effort and say, “Hashem will put the knowledge in my brain.” When we go to buy tefillin or an etrog, we can't just go into the first store and say, “I did my hishtadlut, I know Hashem is going to give me the best one.” In matters of spirituality, we have to give a hundred and ten percent effort. This is the purpose for which we were created. Rabbi Menashe Reizman brought a question from Rav Hirsch of Riminov. It seems from Chazal that before Matan Torah , the other mountains were all making superior efforts to have the Torah given upon them. That is a spiritual endeavor. If so, why did Har Sinai not make the same efforts? And why was Har Sinai chosen if it didn't make those same efforts? One explanation is that Har Sinai understood that here Hashem preferred humility. And once someone is doing what Hashem wants, then even in spirituality, he can be zocheh to free gifts. If someone makes the effort to set aside time to learn and has a real desire to understand and know what he's learning. But finally, when he sits down and turns off his phone and opens the sefer , someone comes in and tells him he's needed to do a mitzvah that nobody else could perform, which according to halachah means he has to get up and do it. There he can have bitachon in Hashem, the One who commanded him to do the mitzvah and say, He will help him know what he wants to learn by giving him extra Heavenly help the next time he learns to grasp the material and remember it. The Chatam Sofer once said Avraham Avinu was able to see things in the stars beyond what others could see. He was able to connect to Hashem on another level. He could have sat alone all day and connected to Hashem on the highest levels, but instead he chose to take care of guests and bring others closer to Hashem. He understood, that is what Hashem preferred for him to do. And that is why it says, המכסה אני מאברהם אשר אני עושה ? - When Hashem was going to destroy Sedom, he said, “How could I do so before telling Abraham about it?” Abraham could have found out this information by meditating and connecting to Me, but instead he was busy with people. So Hashem said, should Avraham lose out because he was doing My will? I'm still going to connect to him and I'm still going to tell him what I'm about to do. It says in the pasuk that we have a mitzvah to teach our children Torah. Anybody who is yearning to reach higher levels in Torah study understands the value of every minute that can be used to delve deeper into Torah. One may think, “If I take away time from my learning to learn the basics with my son I may lose out.” This is where we have bitachon in Hashem and say, if we're doing His will we'll never lose out on anything. He'll give us more siyata d’Shamaya in our learning because we took out time to do what He wants. The Chassidim HaRishonim used to spend nine hours a day in tefila. The Gemara asks, if so, how were they able to be knowledgeable in Torah? The Gemara answers that Hashem blessed their Torah learning and they were able to accomplish in their short amount of learning what would normally take other people's hours to accomplish. If someone spends time trying to learn one subject of Torah and his evil inclination tells him, if you're working so hard to learn this one little thing, you'll never become a talmid chacham, there's so much more to learn. To this we say נפש עמל עמלה לו - When you toil in one area of Torah, then when you learn another, the first toil will help you learn the second subject easier. Hashem helps us in so many ways with our spirituality. It is true we have to put in as much effort as possible in Torah, but if it's the will of Hashem to do a different particular mitzvah, we'll never lose out on any other spiritual gain Chag Sameach .

The Mishnah in Pirkei Avot teaches us how deeply beloved we are to Hashem — not only did He give us His precious Torah, but He also expressed His immense love by telling us just how valuable that gift is. Shavuot is a time to appreciate the Torah as our guiding light and to reflect on the responsibility that comes with such a gift. The pasuk in Tehillim states: " טוֹב לִי תוֹרַת פִּיךָ מֵאַלְפֵי זָהָב וָכָסֶף " — "The Torah of Your mouth is better for me than thousands of gold and silver pieces" (Tehillim 119:72). The mefarshim are puzzled: how can something eternal like the Torah be compared to something as finite and physical as gold and silver? One explanation is that, as physical beings, we naturally place high value on material wealth. The pasuk is providing a relatable point of comparison. To us, there is no greater earthly treasure than vast amounts of gold and silver — and yet, the Torah tells us its value pales in comparison to the Torah's worth. Hashem instilled within us an affinity for wealth specifically so we could begin to grasp, on our own terms, just a fraction of the Torah's true value. Yet, there lies a danger. Sometimes we become so enamored by the mashal that we lose sight of the nimshal — the deeper truth it's meant to teach. The Magen David explains this with a parable: A king wanted his subjects to appreciate his glory, so he adorned his officers in every province with the finest clothing, using wealth from the royal treasury. He hoped people would say, "If the officers are dressed like this, how much greater must the king be!" But instead, people fixated on the officers and forgot the king entirely. This is what happens when we glorify physical wealth and forget that it's merely a tool to help us appreciate the infinitely greater glory of Torah. Another pitfall comes when people view mitzvot as mere tools to achieve physical rewards. For example, someone may take on a 40-day acceptance to refrain from lashon hara in hopes of achieving a personal salvation. In such cases, the mitzvah becomes a means to an end — the salvation is the focus, not the growth. But this perspective is flawed. Physical rewards are minor side effects of the real reward — the mitzvah itself. No worldly pleasure could ever equal the spiritual elevation one receives from performing even the smallest mitzvah. If someone doesn't receive the outcome they were hoping for, they should still rejoice in the merit of having fulfilled a mitzvah. And if the desired outcome is granted, it should not diminish the value of the mitzvah, nor should one think it was only worthwhile because it "worked." The mitzvah brings a person closer to Hashem, elevates the neshama , and yields eternal benefit. The Chatam Sofer writes, to truly benefit from a mitzvah, one must first value it. Chazal tell us that tzitzit protect a person from sin — yet some wonder why they don't feel that protection. One reason might be a lack of appreciation for the mitzvah itself. If we don't value our mitzvot, we don't engage with them fully — and we miss out on their spiritual power. The same is true for all mitzvot. If a teacher of Torah to children understood that the world stands in the merit of what he is doing, he would never interrupt his class to check a message. If he truly internalized what the Kav HaYashar teaches — that 18,000 angels gather the words spoken by children learning Torah — he would not trade his role for anything in the world. Every word of Torah we learn is more precious than any material success this world can offer. Let us take the time to appreciate what we are privileged to do each day and thank Hashem for the indescribable zechut of sharing in His most precious gift — the Torah.

When a person recognizes Hashem's involvement in his life, he has a mitzvah not only to thank Hashem, but to also sing His praises. The pasuk says: " שִׁירוּ לוֹ זַמְּרוּ לוֹ שִׂיחוּ בְּכָל נִפְלְאוֹתָיו " — "Sing to Him, make music to Him, speak of all His wonders." (Divrei HaYamim I 16:9) We are meant to speak joyfully about the wondrous things Hashem does for us. Baruch Hashem, I have the zechut to hear so many stories of how people felt Hashem's hand in their lives. There's an email address where people send in their stories( livingemunah123@gmail.com ). I would like to share just a few that I recently received. What's so beautiful about some of these stories is how Hashem is involved even in the most mundane of tasks — something as simple as pressing a button. A woman who is an English teacher related that she had been working for years on developing an app to help students drill their English vocabulary. It was a long and exhausting process, and she hoped to secure a government tender that would allow her to sell the app to schools across Israel, helping her cover the high costs. But she hit a roadblock — the Ministry of Education wouldn't provide vendors with a list of schools and contact information. How could she sell her product without spending all her time manually searching for schools? Recently, while trying to look up a phone number on her computer — for the purpose of suggesting a shidduch — she accidentally pressed the wrong button. A file suddenly downloaded onto her computer. Curious, she opened it. To her shock, it was an Excel sheet with over 1,500 religious schools in Israel, complete with all their contact information. She had never even heard of such a list. But she didn't need to — Hashem had guided her fingers to press the exact button she needed. Another woman shared a story from a recent trip to Spain in late April. A nationwide power outage struck in the early afternoon, right as she and her husband were getting ready to catch a train to their next destination. The night before, she had purchased what she thought were train tickets via the railway app. But when she opened the app to confirm the departure time, she realized she had mistakenly bought bus tickets instead. She didn't even know that buses could be booked through the app! As it turned out, the train system had completely shut down due to the power outage, leaving passengers stuck for hours in the heat. Meanwhile, she and her husband boarded a comfortable, air-conditioned bus and arrived on time with no difficulties. Once again, Hashem had guided someone to press exactly the right button. A man submitted a powerful story about a fire that broke out a few weeks ago in fields near Beit Shemesh. He sent in a picture showing completely blackened, burnt fields surrounding a single patch of lush green. That green patch belonged to Moshav Matityahu — a religious moshav who keep Shemitah. The field manager was there as the flames approached. The trees — etrogim and rimonim — were in serious danger. But then, miraculously, the flames veered, forming a half-circle around this field, and moved on to burn the next one. Not a single tree of theirs was singed. It was clearly a bracha earned in the merit of keeping Shemitah. Tragically, the surrounding fields — which were not observing Shemitah — were all burned. Hashem can and does bless us in countless ways, sometimes in very visible miracles. One final story. A man had a specialist appointment last year. The waiting room had televisions playing on all sides, the volume blasting, and the content was extremely inappropriate. He tried his best not to look, but some of the images caught his eye and became lodged in his mind. He prayed deeply for Hashem to remove those images from his thoughts. A week later, he had a follow-up appointment at the same office. This time, before going, he poured out his heart to Hashem, asking not to be exposed to those same sights again. Miraculously, when he arrived, every screen was malfunctioning. The same clean advertisement played on a loop for the entire thirty minutes he was there. Other patients were complaining, but the staff could not fix it. Only he knew that it was an answer to his tefillah. Hashem is helping us constantly. It's our job to recognize His involvement, thank Him, and tell others about it. The more we speak of His wonders, the more aware we become of His presence in our lives — and the more reasons we find to sing His praises.

The Chovot HaLevavot teaches us that when it comes to avodat Hashem , we are rewarded for our desire to do a mitzvah —even if we're unable to carry it out. This means that even a poor man is rewarded for wanting to give tzedakah , even if he doesn't physically have the means to do so. Our choices and our will to perform mitzvot are the very reasons we were created. This is the one area in which a person is not allowed to say, "I'll trust that Hashem will put the desire in my heart to do His will." Hashem created us to make that decision on our own and to develop that desire ourselves—He will not do it for us. However, a person may—and should—pray that Hashem help him maintain his desire to do good and provide him with the right environment and conditions to carry it out. In fact, Hashem loves when we ask Him for help to fulfill His will. First, it is up to us to decide that we want to do His will; only then can we ask for His assistance in following through. Sometimes we face extremely difficult circumstances, and it seems we may have to compromise on the spiritual standards we've set for ourselves. But we must know: Hashem yearns for us to do His will. If we truly desire it and sincerely ask Him for help, He will move heaven and earth to make it possible. Rabbi Elimelech Biederman once received a letter from a man who had such an experience. A few years earlier, this man had been inspired to improve his shemirat einayim —guarding his eyes. He took on many personal stringencies to protect himself even from potential challenges. About a year ago, he began experiencing intense pain in a certain part of his body. After an initial exam, his doctor told him he needed to see a specialist. He strongly recommended a specific expert whose clinic was located in the outdoor plaza of a very popular mall. The area, and especially that particular mall, was known for attracting crowds dressed immodestly. The man had committed never to enter such places, but now it seemed he had no choice. His doctor insisted that seeing this specialist could be a matter of life and death. The next available appointment was in a few weeks, at a time when the weather would normally be beautiful and the mall would likely be packed. The man spent the following three weeks praying daily to Hashem for help in maintaining his shemirat einayim . On the day of his appointment, something remarkable happened. The skies opened and it began pouring rain—torrents of it. This was after the rainy season had already ended. Rain during this time was extremely rare. Nobody could believe the weather. The rain was so heavy that almost no one wanted to be outside. The man arrived for his appointment to find the mall practically empty. He was able to visit the specialist and—amazingly—he didn't encounter any immodesty, even inside the office. Even more incredible: as soon as he got home, the rain stopped and the sun came out as it typically did during that season. It was clear that Hashem had changed the weather to help him maintain his commitment to shemirat einayim . This man had already made the decision to guard his eyes, and he asked Hashem to help him succeed. Hashem responded in a wondrous way. Everyone can be helped in their spiritual pursuits. But first, we must develop a sincere and powerful desire to do Hashem's will. Once we take that step, we can ask Hashem for help—and He will always be there to guide us through.

Part of the gift of emunah is knowing that there is always purpose and meaning behind everything that happens in our lives. A wrong turn was meant to be, a bad purchase was meant to be — and the list goes on. When a person understands that there's purpose behind his so-called mistakes, he'll be able to feel calm even in situations that would naturally bring stress. A man was recently teaching emunah to a group of teenagers on a bus. He told them that nothing is a mistake, and that everything happens for a reason. Just then, the driver made a wrong turn. The speaker smiled and told the boys not to worry — it was Me'et Hashem . Amazingly, down that very road, there were nine Jews trying to complete a minyan for Mincha so someone could say Kaddish before sunset. The driver stopped the bus, they all got off, and they made the minyan. Another story: a woman received a message that a couple from her community had been hospitalized. She decided to visit them. Although the hospital was far and her day was full, she baked fresh challot that morning and brought some along to give them. When she arrived, someone at the hospital commented how much he loves challah. She apologized, explaining that she had brought the bread for the couple she came to visit. A short while later, she discovered that the couple had actually been discharged earlier that day. In the past, this woman would have been frustrated over going so far for "nothing." But now, with emunah, she just smiled and said, "I'm so happy that I work for You, Hashem. If I'm here, that means You wanted me to be here." She went back, gave the challot to the man who had admired them, and made his day. She doesn't know why Hashem arranged for her to receive that message and believe the couple was still there. But she knows there was a reason — and she was grateful to be part of His plan. אין עוד מלבדו — we are always where we are meant to be. A man shared that one morning, his chavruta wanted to learn and pray earlier than usual. Because of this, he got home earlier. Just as he arrived, he saw his wife about to enter her car — and a man was sitting inside, trying to steal it. He was able to detain the thief until the police arrived. His chavruta had his own reasons for starting earlier, but clearly, it was all part of Hashem's orchestration, ensuring this man would be home at the exact moment his wife was in danger. Another story: a woman received two precious rings from her grandmother. Each night, she removed them and wore them again the next day. One day, she couldn't find them. She searched the house thoroughly. Days passed. She prayed, did segulot , but it seemed the rings were lost. Then, at 2:30 a.m., she woke up with a sudden thought — maybe she had put them in the pocket of a shirt. That very shirt was in the laundry bag, which her husband was going to take to the cleaners in the morning. She rushed downstairs — and there were the rings, right in the pocket. They were very expensive and most likely would not have come back once they went to the cleaners. Hashem woke her up with that thought just a few hours before her husband was going to take them. Every moment of our lives is calculated. Hashem governs every second with precise purpose and meaning. Wherever we find ourselves, and whatever we're doing — we are working for Hashem. He has a unique job for each of us at all times!