Transcript
Good morning, good morning, boker tov, welcome back to living with emuna. Always amazing to be together. First a housekeeping note, next week im yirtzeh Hashem we'll be traveling, so we are off next week, but we will resume the week after. Baruch Hashem there are many living with emuna shiurim you can catch up on, you can re-listen to, or there are countless other emuna resources, shiurim, classes you could listen and learn on your own. As always, want to thank our emuna series sponsors. We remain deeply indebted and grateful to Avi and Bella Morgan in memory of Rabbi Dr. Brian Galbut and in memory of Bella's mother, Dr. Ellen Chanz. This morning is also co-sponsored our series this year, anonymously in memory of the 30 fallen soldiers and alumni of Bnei David Mechinah and Yeshiva in Eli who fell on October 7th during this war. Each week we're highlighting a different one of those heroes who fell. This week we're highlighting Major Reserve David Chaim Meyer, Hashem yikom damo of Yerushalayim. He was 31 years old, fell in battle on October 7th during the recapture of Kibbutz Be'eri. David Meyer was killed while bravely trying to root out Hamas terrorists hiding inside homes. His maternal grandfather was the founder of the Bnei Akiva Yeshiva network, Rav Moshe Tzvi Neria. He is survived by his wife Anat, their seven-month-old son Shaked, his parents, and his six siblings. And his neshama, I would say should have an aliyah, but it can't go any higher because we know the heroes who gave their lives are next to the Kisei HaKavod, but certainly we remember and our learning should be in his memory. This morning's shiur is dedicated by Lauren Shaman in honor of Andrea Rawling's birthday. Gratitude to Hashem for 37 years of friendship to Andrea for introducing her to this amazing shiur. Happy birthday Andrea, and thank you Lauren. Anonymously in honor of the 30th birthday, most grateful for the emuna you've helped them grow. Anonymously for Nechama Slava bas Leah's zechus to have an easy healthy labor and delivery for mother and baby, b'sha'ah tovah, we should hear good news. And for Rifka Leah bas Chana Esther and Golda Dvora bas Chana Esther to have a shidduch, a zivug hagun b'karov, we should hear news of simchas. By Zayde Aiden and Perry Hoffman and Ruthy and Natana Raiden, l'ilui nishmas Rochel bas Shlomo Binyamin on the shloshim, also the neshama should have an aliyah, should have a lot of comfort. And a refuah shleimah, I'm dedicating our learning should be for a complete, speedy, and painless refuah shleimah for my dear friend, Rav Natanel ben Mirel, should hear good news of a speedy refuah shleimah. And lastly, dedicated in honor of a refuah shleimah for a preemie baby in the NICU, Sarah Leah bas Chava Rochel, should hear good news. Okay, we have so many generous people. Sorry it took so long, but baruch Hashem. So many generous people and thank you. Okay, as always, we begin with some letters and then we'll dive back into our text that we're learning together of David Abuhatzeira. We've got the letters are all great and I regret, I mention every week, I regret I can't read and share all of them with you. I read every one of them. They inspire and motivate and touch deeply each and every one of them, they touch me. I can't share them all with you, but here are some, here are some of them. My living with emuna moment happened this summer in Jerusalem on the annual trip of the organization they learn with. After a volunteering activity, I rushed off the bus and accidentally left my phone behind. By the time the driver brought it back, everyone had already left for the next activity. So I had no choice but to go to my room. My roommate wasn't feeling well and ended up collapsing into a chair from the extreme heat. We called Magen David Adom, don't tell Eli Beer, and they arrived within minutes. She insisted she didn't need me to come because she spoke Hebrew fluently, but I held her hand and said, we can never leave a fellow Jew alone, or far worse, never let them feel alone. So I went, stayed with her for six hours in the hospital. Baruch Hashem she was okay. It suddenly came to me and I said out loud, this is a living with emuna moment. If I hadn't forgotten my phone, I wouldn't have been able to be here for you. I was exactly where I was meant to be. And I broke down crying. Fast forward, I become deeply involved in several communities, and the email goes on to other stories. One of our members of our shiur, thank you very much shared with me that actually one of our letters made it into the Circle magazine. It didn't have attribution but that's okay. That's okay, Hashem knows where it's from. But you remember the email we got from the girl who was woken by her mother for school and said, Ma, you're always listening to that guy in that class saying you are where you're meant to be and I'm meant to be in bed and leave me alone. Well, that story made it into the Circle magazine. Thank you. Could have at least mentioned the shiur, but anyway, that is a, that is a great story. That reminds me of a new story that came in this week. Dear Rabbi Goldberg, we always start with gratitude. Thank you for all you do, blah, blah, blah, yadda yadda. I have a cute, thank you for the compliment. I have a cute emuna story. My son came home the other day and he said, Mommy, I had a Chumash test today and Rabbi Goldberg got me an A, which is pretty extraordinary because in school I did not get A's, but I'm happy to help somebody else. Confused, I asked him to elaborate. He said, \"Well, we were being tested on the Ten Commandments and how they relate one to the other. And then I got to the question, what is the foundation idea connecting the fifth and the 10th commandments?\" I blanked, but one thing kept coming into my head, \"Embrace your place.\" So that's exactly what I did. I embraced my place of not knowing what to write and I wrote, \"Embrace your place.\" He said, \"Mommy, my rebbe came up to me and said that I nailed that question, and he couldn't believe how on the point I was able to phrase it. That was the connection between the fifth and the 10th.\" So he wanted to say thank you, Rabbi Goldberg. Wishing you and your family and the entire Living with Emunah family all the best and warm regards. So, I'm happy I got him an A, and children listening, if you ever don't know what to write on a test, just write \"embrace your place\" or \"let go, let God\" or some other cliche like that, and certainly you will do, you will do well. Okay. Next. This past spring and summer my husband and I were in significant financial straits. The fear and anxiety were overwhelming, at times even debilitating. For the past 20 years, I've struggled, learning and relearning to turn my will and my life over to a higher power, but for whatever reason, the situation had me licked. I was completely blocked and disconnected, which is dangerous. I had done all the hishtadlus, all my effort. I knew my job was to move past the fear and reconnect. But how? Enter the podcast. My best friend suggested I give it a listen, and I was quickly hooked, not only because it's engaging and deep, but because you keep it real and honest. We're all just doing our best to hang on to Hashem through difficult situations. Sometimes they work out, sometimes they don't. The point is to trust Hashem has got our back, no matter what the outcome. Shiurim opened the hidden door in my soul and cleared out those blocks. I was able to reconnect again, so inspired, I started a shiur for women based on Rabbi Ovcha Tzar's Emunah Bitachon. I'm a writer by profession. The stories we tell come down to perspective. Same story, could be a comedy or a tragedy depending on the teller. To live in peace and connection, I choose to edit through the lens of emunah. Oh, and for our financial situation, while I was busy building emunah, Hashem sent my husband and I life-changing work opportunities. He answered our prayers beyond our wildest expectations. This is just a side benefit of a real happy ending, a more deeply connected life. A beautiful email, halevai for everyone. Okay, we continue our Psalm 23 sightings. This is fun. That's why I give the shiur, because we have so much fun. So, we learned Tehillim, Kapitel Chaf Gimmel, ה' רועי לא אחסר, and because we referenced it, now everyone's seeing it everywhere, and keep it coming. We're on a streak and we want to see how far we can take it. Dear Rabbi Goldberg, I want to thank you for the impact of your classes. The Psalm 23 sighting emails have been a very entertaining part of the class introductions, and now I have my own, or at least I almost did. As I'm part of a chat that was dividing up Tehillim for an individual who was ill. I wanted to take a day. I decided to wait until the first few were taken, as I'm more familiar with the chapters in the second half of the sefer. But then I thought, \"Stop procrastinating, just take the next available.\" I did. While Googling the day to begin saying the Tehillim, the first chapter was none other than Kapitel Chaf Gimmel, Psalm 23. I couldn't help but smile. Ironically though, when I subsequently opened the actual sefer Tehillim later to finish, I realized it was actually divided up differently than I originally thought. And Tehillim Chaf Gimmel was not part of my day. It was a meaningful to get to say the chapter nonetheless. The words of that chapter were, after all, they were where they're meant to be, coming forth from my soul that afternoon. Psalm sightings notwithstanding, thank you for the messages, the class. May we share besoros tovos and greet Mashiach bekarov. Amen. Amen. We got another sighting. It's not a Psalm 23, but it's another great sighting, and I appreciated it, and I appreciated it. Here it is. Finally, I felt that a good emunah shiur moment as I journeyed home. I'm not the best traveler. I'm always nervous about running late, while my American wife from Atlanta is more than relaxed to roll in with minutes to go. As the traffic mounted near the airport and the clock was ticking, my blood pressure rose, and I began to feel stressed. I tried in that moment to think about all the Rabbi Goldberg messages from the shiur. I took deep breaths, reminded myself continuously that Hashem was in charge and managed to calm down, and managed to calm down. We returned our car, made our way to check in. As always, our check-in took far longer than anyone else, compounded by the intricacies of checking in a stroller, car seat and a base for my sweet child. As the clock ticked, I noticed on this Spirit worker's arm a tattoo. Although the worker was an American, was a Black American female, most likely not Jewish, she had a tattoo of Hashem's four-letter name in Hebrew. Perhaps you folks in Boca are familiar with her, but for me it was a reminder to let go and let God. Hashem is in... We don't know her, she doesn't come to the emunah shiur, but she should. Hashem is in charge and will get us home if he so chooses. Baruch Hashem, we made our flight just fine. Despite some harrowing turbulence, Hashem guided the pilot to land the plane safely. May Hashem bless you to continue to inspire Klal Yisrael, vechulu vechulu. But that's another sighting. Just when he was feeling anxious and worried, he found a tattoo. tattoo on the TSA worker's arm of the four-letter Hashem name, and that gave him all the energy he needed in order to stay, in order to stay calm. Okay, couple more, and then we'll get into our learning together. I hope you're doing well in sunny South Florida. I hope they mean that. I think they mean, I think they're happy for us. Sunny South Florida. I'm going to take that at face value. I mean, again, like the other author said, you can read things and tell the story the way you want. So you can read that sentence, I hope you're well in sunny South Florida. Where it's snowing here. Or, I hope you're well. Enjoy, good, it's beautiful. Enjoy sunny South Florida. So we're going to choose to read it the second way. I've enjoyed listening to the shiur. Appreciate having the reminder I always be prepared with my emunah, as you never know when you'll need it. Today was one of those days where it came in handy. I'm an infrequent goer to my office as I'm not required to come in and make it my schedule more difficult. One of the difficulties is going to a minyan for Mincha. I don't have a car and the only mincha within walking distance is a 25 minute speed walk each way with just enough time for the minyan. Today I went and walked through the rain to get there. First of all, can we just pause? I don't know him, but he's extraordinary. 25 minute walk each way from work to Mincha. Many, most, almost all other people I know would say, corner of the office, close the door, do my best, short days, can't make a minyan, I have to work, I'm exempt. 25 minute walk, not round trip, each way, through the rain, speed walking, using up the entire lunch hour, that's a Mincha. You know what the word Mincha means? Chazal tell us that of all the tfilos, the holy and most special to Hashem is Mincha. Mincha. Partially it's the time of day, twilight when it's said, it's the time of day, the time of din, but also the word Mincha, what is Mincha? Relevant to this week's parsha, because Yaakov offers one to his brother before they meet. What is Mincha? A gift. Mincha's a gift. And why is Mincha called a gift? Exactly for this reason. Because Shacharis, you come to shul, you make a coffee, you have a slushy, you have a pastry, you learn in the koilel boiker, you daven, you begin your day, you have time, it's calm, you're not yet running. Maariv, we have, you know how many maarivs we have? A plag maariv, a zman minyan, maariv at 7, 8, 9, 10. Yes, I'm shamelessly plugging our maarivs. You have maarivs all night long. So maariv, whatever time you end your day, you could come with nachas, you could daven a maariv, get a slushy, make a tea, enjoy maariv. But Mincha, Mincha's never at a convenient time. And if you want to know, if you don't believe me Mincha's never at a convenient time, just ask Yocheved. It's never at a convenient time. It is never at a convenient time. Which is remarkable to me, because sometimes Mincha is early, and sometimes Mincha's late, depending on the time of year. But whenever it is, I'm told, it is never at a convenient time. And that's why it's called Mincha. That's why it's called Mincha. You're in the middle of your busy work day, it's at an inconvenient time, and yet, you you say it anyway, you daven anyway, that's why it's called Mincha. So I just want to pause to admire and be inspired by this heiliga Yid, who walks in the rain 25 minutes each way speed walking, using his lunch hour, all to chap a minyan, all to chap minyan Mincha with a minyan. Today I went and walked through the rain to get there. I usually don't Uber because if I did frequently, it'd be expensive. But on the way back from the minyan today, I made an exception due to the weather. As we were driving, the driver was pulled over for a broken taillight. When we pulled over and I heard the sirens, my immediate reaction was to be calm and have emunah that everything would be fine thanks to the shiurim. Baruch Hashem, the stop was short. I was back to work before my lunch was over with time to spare. As I got into the elevator at my office building, I saw a man with a kippah walking in, a sight I hadn't seen before in my office. We talked, exchanged numbers, and it looks like from now on, I have a ride to Mincha. Even though the commute to and from Mincha was more eventful than usual, it led to me having a much easier commute for the future. I'm thankful to Hashem that I was able to keep calm during what could have been a stressful situation, helping me secure a ride for future minyanim, helping me see the hashgacha of the situation very quickly. Thank you, Rabbi. I wish you hatzlacha as you continue to inspire. Amein. What a beautiful hug from Hashem. Had it not been raining, had he not taken an Uber, had the Uber not been pulled over, he wouldn't have walked in right at the same time as that individual. Had he not met him, he wouldn't have now had a ride in the future, giving him a greater lunch hour. And it still counts as a Mincha because he was ready to speed walk 25 minutes each way. Ah, what a story. And if you thought that was a great story, get ready for this one. And then we'll get into our learning. Thank you for the shiurim. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. I have a crazy dating story I would like to share with you. Now, when you hear that intro, I have a crazy dating story, you say, okay, how crazy could it be? I've heard a lot of crazy dating stories. A shadchan reached out to me saying that someone mentioned my name to her as an idea for a possible shidduch. She asked me to send her my information. The next night I received a suggestion from her. I looked into it and agreed to go out. The night of the date I showed up to the meeting spot, and the guy says, are you so-and-so? I said, yes. We started walking and talking and about 10 minutes in he asked me a certain question. Upon hearing my response he said, wait, this is so awkward, but I think I was supposed to go out with a different girl with the same first name. I could not believe what was happening. This was the craziest date story I had ever heard. I was on a date with the wrong guy, or so I thought. We immediately both stopped and went to the side of the street, took out our phones and started texting and calling our shadchanim. We quickly realized it was the same *shadchan*. At this point I thought there's another guy and another girl waiting at the same meeting spot and we swapped dates, and that I was going to have 15 missed calls from the *shadchan* saying where are you? This was already crazy, but it got even crazier, because then I asked him his name and he was the guy I got suggested. What happened was my name was on the *shadchan's* radar since someone had mentioned my name to her. At the same time, she suggested a different girl with the same first name to this boy. And when he said yes, his information was accidentally sent to me instead of the other girl who he really said yes to. I actually thought I was in a movie. I looked at my phone screen which says, you are exactly where you're meant to be, embrace your place. This idea that you frequently say during the *shiur* always gave me a certain sense of calmness. And it gave me the calmness that night to understand however the situation would unfold would be from *Hashem*. We stood on the side waiting to see how the *shadchan* responded. After a few minutes we both put away our phones and continued the date. We made a joke of it and kept saying how crazy the story was. We pulled out our phones at one point and the *shadchan* had apologized profusely for the mistake, it had never happened to her before. I was not upset at all, totally understood, things happen, people make mistakes. But *Hashem*, he doesn't make mistakes. Although I believe I have strong *emunah*, I really try to live my life believing *Hashem* runs the world and he knows what's best, the day-to-day is still challenging. And I often feel like I need to take control even though I know that no results are coming from that and it's all from *Hashem*. To me that night and this story taught me a huge lesson and really strengthened my *emunah*. *Hashem* was telling me as much as you think you're in control, you don't have to worry. I'm the one who runs the world, I can make anything happen. I can make that which seems impossible possible. Whoever you're supposed to meet, I'll make that happen. There are so many pieces of the story that don't make sense. We were not supposed to go out, except that we were. *Hashem* orchestrated it. He made the *shadchan* overlook something in her notes because he's the one controlling the world. To make an already long story short, we went out a few times and although I'd love to sit here and write a perfect ending and happily ever after to this crazy story, that's not always the reality. This gives me tremendous *chizuk* that *Hashem* is really the one in control and no one can get in that way. *Hashem* can literally do anything, my job is to do my part, put in a normal amount of *hishtadlus*, let *Hashem* do his. I know you always say you appreciate the stories that don't have a perfect ending and so even though it ended, I still wanted to send this email because I recognize that in every situation you can learn a lesson of *emunah*. If you ask my friends and I, we're still patiently waiting for you to start the *emunah shidduchim* series. Coming soon. Coming soon to you. And here's a picture of, she sent me a picture of her home lock screen that says, embrace your place, you are where you're meant to be. And yeah, it would have been a cooler story if they got married in the end. They might yet, you never know. Although sometimes, as we always point out, it's a more powerful story that she can write that whole email and say not, what a waste of a night, what a waste of time, what a lousy *shadchan*, can't believe she made this mistake. To be able to look back and say it was still, I was where I was meant to be. And you know what, the story could still have another incredible ending. Maybe that young man is going to think of a different young woman for her, maybe she thinks a different woman for that young man. We don't know where we are, why we're there, how we're meant to pay it forward, but we're never stuck. And we always are where we're meant to be, and those are several examples of them. More great letters will save for next time. We're back in our learning together. Page *kuf chaf zayin*, 127 of Rav David Abuchatzeira's *Shaarei Tefillah*, bottom left paragraph. And this *perek* has been all about, it's in a *sefer*. This book is not about *emunah u'bitachon*. We learned his last book, *Emunah u'Bitachon*. This is a different book called *Shaarei Tefillah*. This book is about prayer. Why is there a chapter in a book about prayer about faith and trust? Because one of the things that we turn and pray for is, *Hashem*, let me see you, let me feel you, let me know you, let me feel connected to you. It's ironically and paradoxically something that we *daven* for. *Hashem*, I'm struggling, I'm suffering. It doesn't come naturally or easily. I'm not feeling so connected. So we have to *daven*. We *daven*. We *daven* hard that we see and feel connected. מאבודות היסוד שבעבודת השם, one of the core foundational ways that we serve *Hashem*, he *mitzvath bitachon*. is the *mitzvah* of *bitachon*. And we learned long ago, I don't even know what number this is or what we're up to, oh, part 367. So we learned many, many, maybe within the first dozen, about where does it say there's a *mitzvah* of *bitachon*? Rav David Abuchatzeira is just happens to be saying in passing, one of the foundational *mitzvos* that we have is the *mitzvah* to have faith in *Hashem*. Is there a mitzvah to have faith in Hashem? So there's actually a debate. There are some who say, yes, אנוכי ה' אלקיך אשר הוצאתיך מארץ מצרים, I'm the Lord your God who took you out of Egypt. Don't have other gods. Have loyalty and fidelity to me. Believe in me, see me, feel me, talk to me, connect with me, make time for me. That is a mitzvah to have faith and belief and trust in Hashem. But there are many others, rishonim, who say there is no mitzvah to have faith in Hashem. Why? Because we don't have to? Because it's optional? Because we could be an agnostic or God forbid an atheist? No, of course not. For another fundamental reason. Is there a mitzvah to breathe? We have taryag, 613 mitzvos. The gemara at the end of Makkos tells us, we have a tradition, there are other traditions by the way, but the authoritative one, the one that is most universally accepted is that there are 613 mitzvos. The code of every Jewish luggage. 613 mitzvos. Taryag. How do you count the taryag? There are really many more than 613. One can argue there are thousands when you add them all up with their minutia and their details. So how do you squeeze them into 613? That's a really fun game and exercise. And the rishonim, our medieval commentaries, actually played that game. And they wrote works, they wrote books, explaining their principles and rules and then counting their 613 how they got there. Sefer Mitzvos Ketanos, Smak, the Sefer Mitzvos Gedolos of the Smag, the Ba'al Halachos Gedolos, Bahag, the Rambam in Sefer HaMitzvos, the Ramban, and the list could go on and on, the Sefer HaChinuch, many, many, many wrote books explaining, okay, here are my rules of categorization that will allow me to then demonstrate to you how I came up with 613 even though there are many more. 613. So, is one of the 613, breathe? Don't forget to breathe. We're living in one of the most pathetic generations of all time. We now have alarms and apps on our phones that are designed that people pay money for to download, whose whole job it is to remind you to breathe. Don't forget to breathe. No generation before us needed to be reminded to breathe. But we're breathing so shallow, we're looking down at devices, we're forgetting, we're distracting, we're living mindless lives, that we have all kinds of apps and all kinds of alarms, and they're important and they're good to remind us, breathe. Breathe. That was the topic of our Rosh Hashanah drasha. That this was the anniversary of creation, we came to be through breath, and on Rosh Hashanah we stop, we pause and we take a deep breath, and that's what the shofar is. You can only produce the sound of the shofar through the deep breath inside you. Rosh Hashanah is a day, take a deep breath. Take a deep breath. Restore the neshama with neshima, take a deep breath. We spoke all about. I've been very gratified by the people who've shared with me how they've employed and when they've used, we not only spoke about, but in a very hokey way that I was made fun of by my family, we collectively practiced Navy SEAL box breathing. Those of you in shul remember, we stopped before we heard the shofar on Musaf on Rosh Hashanah. Deep five second breath in, hold it five seconds, deep five second relief, hold it for five seconds. And that that's what the Navy SEALs use in high pressured, stressful, life-threatening situations. Certainly we can use that. Where the Navy SEALs get that from? The emunah shiur. That's where they got it from. Because you restore the neshima with neshama, the raw role of breath. And it's critical, and it's important, and we need to be reminded to breathe. And whatever we're going through, whatever we face, whatever we need to overcome, stop and remember, we've got to breathe. We've got to breathe deeply. We've got to breathe deeply. Is it a mitzvah to breathe? No. Why isn't it a mitzvah to breathe? Because it is basic, fundamental, you cannot be alive without doing it. So I need a mitzvah for the things that I don't know I need to do. I need a mitzvah for that which doesn't come naturally. I need a mitzvah for that which will enhance and elevate and empower and inspire life. But I can't be alive, I'm not living if I don't breathe, so I don't need a mitzvah to breathe. So those rishonim say emunah is the same thing. You don't need to be told or charged or commanded have emunah. Emunah is like the breath, the air we breathe. Without it we cannot live. Without it we're not alive. We're not alive. Emunah gives us life, it sustains life, it is life. That's why I spend all that time reading these emails, because they're written from people who are saying that what gets me through life, what gives me life, what enables life, empowers life, what lets me breathe, is emunah. Is the confidence and the clarity to know that you are with me. That this existence is not chance and random, that I'm not here because I'm stuck, that I am able to embrace my place, and I can let go and I can let God, and I can know I'm where I'm meant to be. And I can understand. that whatever I have is what I meant to have. And while I can take initiative and try to change and work and grow and progress, ultimately, I surrender to you, Hashem, because you're in charge and you're in control. And I can only have life, that serenity, and that peace, and that quality of life, and that happiness, because I live with emunah. So no more than I need to be commanded to breathe, do I need to be commanded to have emunah. Emunah is the breath in our lungs. Emunah is the breath. It is the air that we breathe. It is life. It is life. Moreover, it would be paradoxical that there's a mitzvah to what is mitzvah? It's a commandment. It's the command. It means more than that. Tzavsa means a connection. But it's a commandment from the commander. So the commander commands you to believe he exists? Circular. It's paradoxical. It doesn't make sense. A commandment is premised on the notion that there's a commander. So there can't be a commandment, there can't be a command to believe because the whole nature of a command is premised on the assumption that there's a commander. Did you follow that? Good. So back to Rav Dovid Abuchatzeira. Of the core principles and values we have is the mitzvah bitachon. And whether we mean literally one of the Taryag, whether we mean literally one of the 613, or whether we mean to live life with emunah and bitachon and knowledge and faith and confidence and feeling of Hashem. ומהותה שיבטח ויניח עצמו על השם שברחמיו וחסדיו מנהיג אותנו ומשגיח בהשגחה פרטית על כל אדם ועל כל מעשה קטן כגדול. At its core, essentially the mitzvah bitachon means to know that all that happens, wherever we are and whatever happens, is by design. That's emunah bitachon. If you had to summarize it and reduce it, we learn the difference of emunah and bitachon. Remember we learned Rav Moshe Shapiro zt\"l's Emes v'Emunah? Emes is the knowledge that there's a creator. Emunah, putting it into practice. Emes, academic, theoretical, scholarly, evidence, proved, debate. That's Emes. Emunah, putting it into practice. And emunah is on a date with the wrong person. And emunah is on the flight that's delayed. And emunah is when you're financially insecure, and you turn and surrender to Hashem that he has a plan. Emunah is when you're fighting to recover from illness. And emunah is, emunah is, if you reduce emunah to its core, is the knowledge that there is hashgacha. There is divine providence. He's involved and invested intimately in every single one of our lives. He knows everything that's happening. He designed it, he curated it, he choreographed it. And while he wants us to be his partner and to take our initiative and to try to influence and impact our destiny, in the end of the day, it comes from him. kakatan v'kigadol. The Gemara gives the example you reach in your pocket to pull out a nickel, you pulled out a dime. I would say penny, but they're now obsolete, they're eliminating pennies from the market. Not this Penny, that you're going to be here forever. This Penny we want, we keep. You're a keeper. This Penny is a keeper. But the coin, the penny, the coin, the penny, the material was more than the value of a penny. So they're eliminating the penny. But you reached into your pocket for a nickel and you pulled out a quarter. Was that a chance coincidence? Was that a statistical anomaly? How and why did that happen? The Gemara says everything from what corner, from what every thing from what coin you pull out of your pocket to where you are, to whether you made a green light or red light. One of the letters I didn't get to was somebody who was going on a date, and he always leaves early, and he gets there early, and he put it into Waze, and Waze said there'll be traffic so he left especially early, but then he watched Waze build and build up the whole time. And it's a whole story. He had a whole conversation with Hashem the entire time, and it turns out he defeated Waze. So much so he says that when he got there and he arrived his intended time and not Waze's time, Waze couldn't believe it. He had a whole machlokes. What do you expect? Waze is not from the neighborhood. But there's a whole debate, whole debate and he had a whole ongoing conversation. I think Waze was in utter shock that I made it that early and refused to believe it. But even though Waze knows what's going on, Hashem has the power to change anything in an instant. And that's the knowledge that what time I'll get there. He said he made all the green lights, he had never made that in his life to where he was going. He had driven hundreds of times. Through his tefillah, through his faith. And and by the way, that has a happy ending. It also would have been Hashem if he was delayed, if he was in traffic, if he got there late, and she would have understood and it would have been okay, and that would have been the end, it would have also been part of the plan. It's always part of the plan. It is the plan. And nothing can give more comfort, serenity, happiness, peace of mind. Nothing can give, nothing can give more. Nothing can give more. That's emunah. Kakatan, I don't know anyone who got bent out of shape like they reached in their pocket for a nickel and they pulled out a quarter, and now they're like, I don't believe in God, I can't believe this happened to me, where is God, woe me, why me. It doesn't mean that person doesn't exist, I haven't met them yet. They probably do, but I haven't met them yet. But that's kakatan, k'gadol. That's a small thing. It's insignificant, right? Which quarter? Insignificant. K'gadol, there are big things. There are big things in life. I don't have to tell people in this room who've been through big things in life. It's also small and big, it's all from Hashem and that's emunah bitachon at its core is the confidence, clarity, knowledge, and faith, not theoretically, but lived, that it's all from you, Hashem. I could keep calm and carry on. Keep calm and carry on. Why? Because I believe in you. Because I believe in you. Anyone know where that comes from? Keep calm and carry on. The Second World War in London, when the bombs were being dropped and the people were panicked and they hung pashkevilin, only they didn't call it that. They hung posters all over London with the words, keep calm and carry on. It even sounds a little bit British. I'm not going to do my accent for you. Keep calm and carry on. But the truth is, we have to adopt it and adapt it for the emunah shiur. You can't keep calm and carry on just because someone hung a poster telling you to. If bombs are dropping and raining all over your head, why should you keep calm? If there's any situation that demands you to not keep calm, I would think it's bombs bursting in air. That's American. It's bombs bursting in air over your head. Why would you keep calm in that situation? So the phrase, that poster is incomplete. It's trust in Hashem, keep calm and carry on. You got to add the emunah bitachon part. What gives you the fact, we need to do a better job of that. I'll put it in ChatGPT later. You got to add some faith to that keep calm and carry on. But it's, it's keep Hashem in your life and then you'll stay calm and be able to carry on. And that at the core is emunah u'bitachon. He quotes in footnote zayin the language of the Chovos Halevavos of Rabeinu Bachya, מהותה בטחון מנוחת נפש הבוטח. Indeed the litmus test of emunah bitachon, how do you know? How do you know? What's the measure? What's the metric of how well you're doing in emunah bitachon? How do you know? You don't get it back with your lab results. Maybe you do. But your lab results will tell you how your cholesterol is. You could think it's that, you could want it to be the other thing. At the end of the day, you're fooling yourself. The lab results, the numbers don't lie. The numbers don't lie. This is your cholesterol, these are your sugars, this is your sodium. I see a bunch of panicked faces right now. This, this is your lab results. What's the lab return, what's the lab result for your emunah bitachon? How do you know? So Rabeinu Bachya says, you know how you know? By your serenity and tranquility, by your capacity to keep calm and carry on. A person living with emunah bitachon will have a greater calmness, a greater quiet, a greater peace, a greater serenity, a greater tranquility. Doesn't mean there aren't still things to get anxious over. Certainly there are, that's only human. That's not only okay, that's human. But it means on the whole you can look and measure, huh, you know, since you've been going to that class, since you've been listening to that shiur, since you've been reading that sefer, since you've been working at it, I noticed you're a lot calmer. Situations that you would have gotten bent out of shape. Remember last week's dual email, husband and wife separately, but the man on the trip to Israel who lost his wallet, and she testified about him and he testified about himself that previously he would have lost his cool. He would have panicked. He would have imploded. And instead he kept calm and carried on and figured it out. That's emunah bitachon. That's emunah bitachon. So if you want to know how am I doing? I listen, I learn, I go, I read, I want to be working on it, but how am I doing with it? The answer is, can we register about ourselves and would others testify about what they see in us a greater calmness? Is there a greater calm? Yeah, you're in traffic, you get there, it'll work out. You can't make it go faster. It's the way it's meant to be. Yeah, that child, that person, that behavior, that issue, that, yeah, it's okay. It's Hashem's plan. You did your part, you're doing your part. Now let go and let God, now surrender and submit, now keep calm and carry on because it's all Hashem. Rabeinu Bachya says that the mahus, the litmus test is m'nuchas nefesh haboteach. The m'nuchas hanefesh, the serenity, the peace of mind, the calm, שליבו סמוך על מי שבטח עליו שיעשה לו הטוב והנכון לו בענין אשר יבטח עליו כפי יכולתו ודעתו במה שמרפא את רוחו. Az zogt Rabeinu Bachya, that is the *Chovos Halevavos* in *Shaar HaBitachon*. Very popular *limud*, the *Shaar HaBitachon*. *Rabbeinu Bachya* says, so that's it. And we spoke about also many, many, many *shiurim* ago. If you have a family member, if you're blessed to be able to have this in your spouse, if you have a dear close friend, that you could have coffee and say, how's your *neshama*? How's your *neshama*? I said this many *shiurim* ago, only one person in my life takes me up on it, and every time I interact or often when I interact with him, he says, *Rebbe*, how's your *neshama*? How's your *neshama*? And I love it that he asks. Thank you, Ben. How's your *neshama*? Real friends ask each other, not only, how are you? How are things? What's going on? What's doing? What are your plans? You say, how's your *neshama*? How's your *neshama*? Well, how do you know how to answer that? How's my *neshama*? What are the possible answers to that? It's well, it's sick, it's happy, it's healthy. What are the possible answers to how's your *neshama*? Says *Rabbeinu Bachya*, one of the answers is, you know, I I feel a lot more calm. I'm trusting in *Hashem*. I'm surrendering to *Hashem*. I recognize *Hashem*. I'm keeping calm and carrying on. Or not. I'm struggling. In which case, and it's important for friends to be able to, family members, friends, spouses, to be able to be vulnerable and honest and truthful. If they trust the other and say, you know, I'm not feeling so connected. I'm struggling. And then the answer is what we're learning. Let's *daven* for you to feel more *emuna* and *bitachon*. Let's *daven* for you to feel greater and more connected. So back upstairs on the top page, *Kuf Chaf Chaf*, ולהגיע לידי כך שבוטח בו יתברך ומפקיד בידו כל קורותיו. And the litmus test is, do you keep calm and carry on? Do you have a greater inner peace and an inner serenity? Do you have that? Do you have that? And do you have the ability to interpret and absorb and accept everything that happens as coming from *Hashem*? יתכן רק כאשר אדם חי באמונה שהכל בא מאתו יתברך והוא עשה עושה ויעשה לכל המעשים, שבעקבות כך מגיע לביטחון שלם ואין לו כאב. That's only possible when you work out your *emuna* muscles and you have the strength to lift yourself, to absorb, to interpret, to see, to accept everything that happens as being from *Hashem*. Because we know it's all from him. That's one of the 13 principles of faith of the *Rambam*, that he's *oseh v'oseh v'yaaseh*. He did, he does, he will do, *lechol hama'asim*. All people, all things, all outcomes, all everything, all come from *Hashem*. So when we live our life that way, when we know where it's all from, when we know why. We'll put it out soon, but we're restarting behind the *bima*. *Baruch Hashem*, we have a studio and we're interviewing people in person, but we did one more interview connecting online, just did it the other day with Congressman Randy Fine. He was a member of the Florida House, now he's a congressman. Historically, the first and only congressman to ever wear a *yamaka* in Congress. After October 7th, his son encouraged him to, and he's worn it every day since. And he's the only one who ever has, and he's not personally observant. But he wore a *yamaka* because he said if they want to kill us for being Jewish, I'm going to proudly wear that *yamaka*, and he wears it on the floor of the house, of the House of Representatives. He's a congressman from Florida, and he's a big fighter for the Jewish people. Randy Fine, F I N E, Randy Fine. He was in the Florida house, the only Jewish Republican in in Florida. And now he's in the House of Representatives, he's in Congress. So a little spoiler alert, a little preview, a little *forshpeis*. It blew me away because he described himself not as observant, but wearing his *yamaka*, but he basically, I don't think he listens to the living with *emuna shiur*. Pretty confident he doesn't. But he spoke about, he was a very successful businessman, retired at 40. Why did he go into public service? Why did he run for the Florida State House and then later for Congress? And he said, *Hashem* put me where I'm meant to be. And if I'm here, I have to fight for the Jewish people. And so powerfully he describes that I'm only entitled to take time away from being with my children if I'm not wasting it, but I'm using it to fight for them and for our people. And he essentially says, embrace your place, you are where you're meant to be, and he used the word *Hashem*, it's all from *Hashem*. It's all from *Hashem*. Here he is in Congress with his *kippah*. And wearing that *kippah* has changed him. He didn't keep *kosher*. And he was at an event in Washington, and he's at the buffet reaching for bacon whatever. And someone's like, hey, dude, buddy with the *kippah*. And he realized if I wear that, so he started to keep *kosher*. Because if I wear the *yamaka*, I've got to keep *kosher*. Amazing things. It's going to be, it's a great interview and well worthwhile to be able to watch, please God, coming out to a theater near you very soon. So, why am I why am I mentioning that? Because he understands that *Hashem* is *oseh v'oseh v'yaaseh*, *lechol hama'asim*. You are where you're meant to be. *Hashem* brings about all outcomes. You have to accept it and know it. And now, that's not a burden. If there's anything we try to get across in our *shiur*, it's that living with *emuna* and *bitachon* is not a burden. You know, sitting in the sukkah in Boca in September, I give you drashos from Heintal Morgan about why it's wonderful and beautiful and amazing and special, and we surrender and the elements and Hashem and the shade, and it's a hug for I could give you 4,000 drashos about it. But let's be honest. It's hot. We shvitz. Not so pleasant. And if there weren't a mitzvah, we wouldn't be out there. There are mitzvos that are hard. They are hard. They're well worth doing and the reward is greater than the sacrifice, but they're hard. Emunah u'bitachon are not a burden. Emunah u'bitachon are not hard. Emunah and bitachon are a gift and a privilege and a blessing and a tool. And emunah u'bitachon are a medicine. They're a salve to put on an open wound. They're a medicine to heal and make you feel better. And emunah u'bitachon are the gas that let you drive your car. They are the cord that let you plug in to recharge. Emunah u'bitachon is the greatest gift. It is the greatest gift. It's not a burden, it's not painful, it's not difficult, it's not a struggle. It yields and it brings about exactly the opposite. When we can live with it, when we can live and interpret and absorb and experience our whole lives through it, we have a peace and a tranquility and a serenity and a capacity for our happiness with whatever I have, to be sameach b'chelko in my lot in life. To not live life and wonder, why, and where, and how could it, and what will be the outcome and what's going to be and will it work out? But instead to stop being a worrier and instead to be a warrior. How do you go from a worrier to a warrior? It's easy. Don't be a worrier, be a warrior. How do you go from a worrier to a warrior? Emunah u'bitachon. There's some there's a lot of good reasons to worry. You wake up on any given morning and there's a long list of things to be worried about. There's no shortage of things to worry about. So how do you go from the natural instinct to be a worrier to be a warrior? We work on that emunah muscle. We put on that as emunah glasses. It's the effort and the intention and the mindfulness to live a life where we look at the world and our world through the lens of emunah. ומזה מתפשטים ועולים ענפים וזמורות לכל עבודת השם. And this is the core. From it, when you can plant and then sprout and blossom the emunah u'bitachon, ooh, the branches and the leaves and the fruit that it yields for every area of life. Your davening obviously is different. Your learning of Torah obviously is different. Your performance of mitzvos is different. And your relationships are different. You're a different person. When you live a life of emunah u'bitachon, you're not that anxious, nervous chaleria that nobody wants to be around. You're not the person who obsessively keeps worrying and anxious and what'll be and it's like, I can't. You're more pleasant to be around. You're happier. Your health, your lab results, taka will be better. Your whole life is different. There are anafim, branches, u'zmuros. They spread out. Avodas Hashem. בלימוד ועסק התורה ובקיום המצוות. כאשר יודע ומפנים בליבו עד כמה מסורים חייו ועלילותיו ביד יחידו של עולם. When a person knows and puts in their heart just how much we surrender to him, מקשר עצמו חזק באילנא דחיי, we attach ourselves and tie ourselves strongly, double knot to the tree of life, וחפץ לקיים מצוותיו ולעסוק בתורתו. Who who wouldn't want this? Who wouldn't want this? You know, we still have to finish this campus and it's we're like 5 million short. We're still working on it. You can change that. So, I bought one of these a couple days ago because it was up to 740 million. Spoiler alert, I didn't win. Whenever I buy it, l'shmecha Kudsha Brich Hu. I tell Hakadosh Baruch Hu, I'm going to give this this and give this to this, and this is why I want it and where it's all going to go and how it's going to change his world. He still keeps telling me, no, Goldberg, you got to do it the hard way. I don't buy every day. I don't buy every week. I don't buy every month. I don't buy often. And I don't know why I don't buy when it's not 740 million, as if 50 million won't change things. I really am trying to change this campus and change the world with it. And he says no. And he said no. But but the good news is nobody won on Monday night. So, remind me, I think tonight's the next one, and it's up even higher. And we will change the world and bring emunah to the world together with it. And yes, I'm happy to share it. B'ezras Hashem. Halivai I should be in that position. Why why am I telling you this? I'm not embarrassed. I'm a little bit. You know, the guy says, behind the counter, says, \"How many do you want?\" I said, \"Why would I buy more than one?\" Says, \"You increase your chances.\" I said, \"No, you don't.\" You have almost no chance with one ticket and you know, two times zero, two times point oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh. So you need a ticket because if you don't have a ticket, you can't win. And, you got to be in it to win it. You got to be in it to win it. So you need a ticket to win, you can't win if you don't have. That's what we call, ladies and gentlemen, I present to you hishtadlus. This is hishtadlus. You got to be in it to win it, you can't win without it, you got to buy one. To buy more than one is a breakdown of emunah. I mean it. It's asur to buy more than one. Why is it asur to buy more, and it's very sad. Sometimes I see at the gas station, it's davka the people who have no money who are buying 25 of these tickets because they think they're increasing their chances, and I'm tempted to like, buddy, let me just, you have a calculator? Let's do some math. Like you're not, you're not increasing your chances, you're just increasing the pot for me when I win. But you're not, you're not increasing, you're not increasing your chances. So it's asur to buy more than one, because if Hashem wants you to win with one, you'll win with one. And it's statistically not meaningful to buy more than one. But you got to be in it to win it so you got to buy one. And why do I buy one? I don't really think I'm gonna win. But I buy one because it's a small price to pay to be able to dream. To dream. I wrote an article about this once. It's a small price to pay to dream because you have great conversations. You go home and you say, what would we do? If you say, first thing I do is quit my job. If the first thing you do is quit your job, what you're doing is a job, not a calling. Because I could tell you right now, I pledge publicly, I will not quit my job. I will double down on my job, do it better with a bigger team, and do more in more places. And Hashem call my bluff. I'm excited. I want to do it. I'm ready. But you have this conversation. Where would you live? Would you buy that place in Israel? Would you spend more time? Would you move there permanently? What difference would you make to this world? What are your priorities? You can't have those conversations in a meaningful, real way if you don't spend the couple dollars on the ticket, the one to be in it to win it. Why am I telling you all of this? Why am I telling you all of this? I'm telling you all of this for the following reason. Ladies and gentlemen, you've won the lottery. We have won the lottery. Hashem has given us the grand prize. It's called the relationship with him. What do you think that money's going to do for you? No, no, if I had money, I could keep calm, I'd be happy. If I had money, then I'd feel secure about the future. If I had money... A lot of people with money don't have those things. But we have the real grand prize. It's called Hashem. Emunah and bitachon is winning the lottery. How sad it is that so many lottery winners are walking around and they're not turning in the ticket. This is the last vestige on Earth, by the way. You could, this ticket is worthless. I didn't win. But if you have a winning ticket, you can't, if you have a picture of it, it doesn't do anything. There's no email with it and there's no online I have it. You have to be holding it. So the first thing you do is put it in a safety deposit box. First thing you do is put it in a safe. Second thing you do is call me. I'll take it off your hands. But you have to be holding the ticket. And the amazing thing about the lottery is if you don't turn in the actual ticket, that, you might have won, you got all the right numbers in the right order, and you got the double play and the power play, you got it all, but if you don't turn in the ticket, you don't get it. So, my fellow Jews, we're all holding the ticket but you got to turn it in. You got to live a life of emunah v'bitachon and then you could collect the grand prize. And what's the grand prize? Menuchas hanefesh. Do you know, is menuchas hanefesh worth more or less than $740 million? Many mistakenly think they could buy menuchas hanefesh for $740 million. And if that's what you think, I would challenge you to Google lottery winners. And you will see, did they have more or less menuchas hanefesh? How many lost their money, went bankrupt, committed suicide, lost all their family and friends. Winning the lottery is not gonna buy you menuchas hanefesh. Except me, it will, and please, and I'll be different. But menuchas... But what if I told you you can have menuchas hanefesh and it doesn't cost you a penny? You could have menuchas hanefesh in your life. You don't have to win the lottery. Doesn't cost $740 million, doesn't cost $1 million, doesn't cost $1. For nothing you could have menuchas hanefesh. You know what it costs? A little mindfulness, a little intention, a little emunah. And for that you could win the lottery of menuchas hanefesh. You're all lottery winners. Now go, turn in the ticket, collect your winnings, menuchas hanefesh. We're not on next week, we're traveling. Im yirtzeh Hashem we're back in two weeks from now. Now we turn off the recording, stay for questions and answers for those in person, for those listening or watching online.
