BS’D

In Parshat Yitro (19:4) it is written: “You have seen what I did to Egypt and that I have borne you on the wings of eagles and brought you to Me”.

Many beautiful messages are learnt from this verse among them a teaching by Rav Shmuel Tayib ztk’l. He explains the words “… brought you to Me” as meaning that we can interact with Hashem directly at all times. The Chatam Sofer ztk’l teaches a brilliant insight into the idea of the eagle in this verse. Although this bird carries all four signs of impurity, nonetheless even if Klal Yisrael acts in an impure fashion Hashem will continuously seek our closeness.

Rav Levi Yitzchok m’Berditchev ztk’l explains that although the feathers of the eagle fall off at the end of each year they are replaced by new ones. Klal Yisrael has the same ability to renew their bond with Hashem no matter where they stood or currently stand.

The RamChal ztk’l writes that on Har Sinai the Jewish People received the unique power to send shock waves to the universe. Living a life of Torah and mitzvot sends pulse waves throughout the world and has a massive effect on every facet of existence. Our choices have eternal effects. What a Jew chooses to involve herself in on one side of the world weaves harmony into the universe.

B’H may we stand proud and devoted this Shavuot and rededicate our lives to living faithfully with Hashem and stay loyal to the words of the Torah, Amen.

Today’s daily dose of emuna is dedicated to the refuah shleimah of Bracha Perl bat Yocheved, a four year old recently diagnosed with cancer.  May Hashem shower her and everyone in need of yeshuot and nechamot b’karov, b’rachamim, Amen.

BS’D

As well as receiving the Torah itself on Har Sinai, the Jewish people also received three fundamental messages which were implanted into Jewish consciousness:

1) We left slavery and entered a state of freedom, thereby travelling from darkness to light. Every Jew can traverse this road – leaving a place of helplessness and travelling to a state of hope. On an emotional level, helplessness occurs when we feel despairing, apathetic or hopeless in the face of our difficulties. This outlook is essentially an imprisonment of the mind. In contrast, Matan Torah lifted us out of this mode of restricted thought. Receiving the Torah represented a message of hope to the Jewish people that all is good and everything that happens is supervised personally by Hashem for our own good.

2) Hashem gave us a glimpse of His magnificent world system, Hashem’s intimate Master plan. This was the first time in history that Hashem openly revealed His love for us by honoring us to co-partner with Him. In presenting us with His instruction manual for life, Hashem was giving us a Divine gift; a peek into the Divine blueprint of cause-and-effect.

3) Hashem gifted us with genuine healing from all ailments. The gift of Torah is a happy, spiritual, emuna-filled life. Hashem is everything and everything is Hashem. The best way to reciprocate to Hashem is to use His gift of Torah with simcha, studying it and occupying our life with mitzvot. By doing so, we give Hashem back 100% of ourselves.

Yet the most amazing thing is that studying and practicing Torah unravels a chain of events which in themselves are an even greater gift. First, we receive Hashem’s wisdom. Then, we benefit from internalizing and integrating this wisdom into our lives. Finally, our love for Hashem intensifies and we are left with a strong desire to connect with Him. This connection is the greatest pleasure we can receive in this World.

Today’s daily dose of emuna is dedicated to the refuah shleimah of Chagit Renana bat Sara that her test results come back with a clean bill of health.  May Hashem shower her and all Klal Yisrael with health and happiness b’rachamim, b’karov, Amen.