BS’D
Tefillah bonds us to Hashem in a unique way. Prayer humbles us because it requires us to acknowledge how dependent we are on Hashem for everything. Therefore tefillah is the quintessence of emuna. It is the tool which Chazal encourages us to use to strengthen our belief that we need Borei Olam in every step of our lives.
Tefillah in effect is the bridging between the mind and the soul. It is the process of awakening the hidden love of Hashem that we cannot readily feel. We need to constantly remind ourselves that Hashem loves, cares and guides us for our ultimate eternal benefit. Through tefillah we fundamentally accustom ourselves that Hashem is intimately involved in every aspect of our lives; including of course our marriage.
Tefillah and its benefits are crucial for building a Jewish home. Shalom bayit (marital peace) must be included in all of our daily prayers and interactions with Borei Olam. Marriages often experience intense complications when couples do not devote enough effort into bringing unity between them.
The AriZal teaches us that our spouse is our tikkun (rectification) –growing and relating to them is the way to repair those spiritual faults that we have within ourselves. The prime purpose that HaKadosh Baruch Hu brought us together with our specific spouse is to grow, train and refine our character traits so that we may become more G-dly, caring and kind individuals.
In order to improve peace in the home, we must first work on improving ourselves. We cannot achieve perfection without reaching out to Hashem for help via prayer. When we are more fulfilled as individuals we can certainly bond better with our spouse in a more positive way as well. As Rav Ezriel Tauber shlit”a so eloquently puts it: “You can’t find peace with your other half if you do not have peace with your first half (meaning within you).”
Today’s Daily Dose of Emuna is dedicated to the refuah shleimah of Devorah bat Esther. She is suffering from a progressive illness and is in desperate need of Rachamei Shamayim. Those who know her attest “…that she is so holy that anytime you would see her, her spirits and hope and love for Hashem ran high. Her emunah is great and yet she is in the hospital, now on a respirator…” May Hashem grace Devorah bat Esther with a complete healing amongst all of Klal Yisrael who are sick and suffering b’karov, b’rachamim, Amen.
