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Living Emunah By Rabbi David Ashear

Rabbi David Ashear

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Parashat Va’era: Create the Zechut

Living Emunah By Rabbi David Ashear ·

2025/01/24

In this week's parasha , Va'era , we read about the makot that Hashem sent upon the Egyptians. These upcoming parshiyot describing Yetziat Mitzrayim form the foundation of our emunah in Hashem. It is here that Hashem demonstrated to the world that He is actively involved in every aspect of life. On Pesach, we drink four cups of wine corresponding to the four leshonot of geulah mentioned in the parasha- והוצאתי, והצלתי, וגאלתי, ולקחתי . There is, however, one more lashon , והבאתי , which refers to

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Priceless Information

Living Emunah By Rabbi David Ashear ·

2025/01/23

The Midrash in parashat V'Etchanan says a person should be happier with his yissurin – afflictions – more than when he receives open good because yissurin cleanses a person and gets rid of his averot . The Yalkut Shimoni in Tehillim says a person should thank Hashem when yissurin befall him because yissurin bring a person much closer to Hashem. At the end of Rebbe Avraham, brother of the Vilna Gaon's life, he was bedridden in excruciating pain, suffering from open wounds all over his body. When his

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The Kappara Before The Yeshuah

Living Emunah By Rabbi David Ashear ·

2025/01/22

Sometimes in order for a person to receive a yeshua , he first has to go through a period of kapara and then, from that difficulty, Hashem sends the salvation. If a person knows that perhaps the difficulty he is going through is preparing him to receive a blessing, it will be easier to handle. In fact, the Gemara says in Masechet Taanit , daf 20, if someone accepts his difficulties with joy, it brings salvation to the entire world. A man told, he has a child who suffers from kidney problems. He

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Three Times a Day

Living Emunah By Rabbi David Ashear ·

2025/01/21

The Gemara in Masechet Berachot teaches that whoever recites Tehilla L'David (Ashreh) three times a day, praising Hashem, is a ben Olam Haba . Yet the same Gemara states that one who recites Hallel daily is considered a blasphemer. We know Hallel is one of the greatest praises, so how can this be understood? The Meshech Chochmah in Parashat Bechukotai explains that Hallel is generally reserved for thanking Hashem for open miracles performed for our nation, such as the makkot or Kriyat Yam Suf

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Beyond Comprehension

Living Emunah By Rabbi David Ashear ·

2025/01/20

After Moshe was placed in a basket in the Nile River, the pasuk states: ותתצב אחתו מרחק לדעה מה־יעשה לו "His sister stood from afar to see what would happen to him." The Midrash explains that the entire pasuk uses language referring to the Shechina , as if to say that it was Hashem Himself who was standing from afar, watching over Moshe. What is the lesson here? Rabbi Menashe Reizman, based on the mefarshim , explained that what Miriam did—standing and watching—seemed irrational. Naturally, a baby

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Parashat Shemot: In a Big Way

Living Emunah By Rabbi David Ashear ·

2025/01/17

The pasuk says in this week's Parasha, Shemot, that Pharaoh decreed all the Jewish baby boys should be thrown into the Yeor . But the Torah testifies that the Jewish midwives feared Hashem and did not listen to Pharaoh, but rather they kept the babies alive. The Chafetz Chayim asked, the words, "ותחיינה את הילדים," that they kept the babies alive, seems superfluous, being that the Torah already told us they feared Hashem and did not listen to Pharaoh. The rabbi explained that the Torah here is

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Catch the Message

Living Emunah By Rabbi David Ashear ·

2025/01/16

Hashem speaks to us all the time. We need to be aware and keep our eyes and ears open for His messages. Sometimes a person needs a yeshuah and seeks something to improve on as a zechut . It's possible that Hashem will convey what he needs to work on in a subtle way, but he must be vigilant and on the lookout for the message. A 7th-grade rebbe shared a story about a student in his class who struggled to grasp even the basics. The more the rebbe tried to explain, the less it seemed the student

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A Wondrous Segula

Living Emunah By Rabbi David Ashear ·

2025/01/15

If someone has been making hishtadlut in a certain area for a long time but hasn't seen success, there is a segula attributed to Rav Chaim Palachi that can work wonders. Whether the hishtadlut pertains to shidduchim , parnasa , health, or any other matter, strengthening one's bitachon in the following way can bring great siyata dishmaya . The practice involves saying the first paragraph of Alenu l'Shabe'ach with intense kavana . Then, go back to the words הוא אלוקינו ואין עוד אחר —"He is our G-d,

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Come out on Top

Living Emunah By Rabbi David Ashear ·

2025/01/14

If a person gets taken advantage of or is wronged by another individual or business and then the person sees how much that other individual or business is flourishing as a result, he may begin to feel that it pays to do the wrong thing because those who do, get away with it and enjoy from it. But there could be nothing further from the truth. The Mishnah says in Pirkei Avot that Hashem who created the world and sees everything that goes on, He is also the Judge, the Witness and the Plaintiff. He

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The Proper Perspective

Living Emunah By Rabbi David Ashear ·

2025/01/13

It is possible for a person to have a completely incorrect understanding of how Hashem interacts with us, stemming from misconceptions about concepts they learned as a child. For example, Chazal teach us that Hashem punishes midda keneged midda —measure for measure. Some people might perceive this as a form of revenge, chas v'shalom , as if to say, "If you act that way, I will do the same to you." This interpretation is a complete distortion of what midda keneged midda truly is. The Alshich explains

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Parashat Vayechi: Yehuda’s Legacy

Living Emunah By Rabbi David Ashear ·

2025/01/10

In this week's parasha , Vayechi, Yaakov tells Yehuda, " יהודה אתה יודוך אחיך ", that he will be the king, and the Jewish people will be named after him— Yehudim . This honor was granted to Yehuda because of his ability to admit his guilt, even when it would lead to public humiliation. The Midrash recounts that when Yehuda convened a bet din to judge Tamar, he served as its head, with Shem ben Noach and his grandfather Yitzchak Avinu as the other two members. Their ruling was to sentence Tamar and

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Messengers Everywhere

Living Emunah By Rabbi David Ashear ·

2025/01/09

The Sefer Oznayim LaTorah relates a story passed down through a chain of tradition: From the Brisker Rav, who heard it from his father, Rav Chaim, who heard it from another rabbi, person to person, back to the one who experienced it. On one occasion, Napoleon visited a small city in Poland. The local leaders and dignitaries prepared a grand reception for him, each taking turns to extol his praises. In the middle of the event, Napoleon asked why no one was there to represent the Jewish community

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Get More Involved

Living Emunah By Rabbi David Ashear ·

2025/01/08

One of the pillars upon which this world stands is Gemilut Chasadim.Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Friedman, author of the Noam Siach , related that he was in Israel this past Yom Kippur. He went to Viznitz for Kol Nidre , and as is known, they start a half hour before everybody else. He was so busy on the phone helping people back in America that he arrived almost at the end of Kol Nidre . He was so disappointed, especially since one of the highlights of his tefillot on Yom Kippur is saying the Or Zarua

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A Shidduch in the Blink of an Eye

Living Emunah By Rabbi David Ashear ·

2025/01/07

The shidduch process can be very frustrating, waiting for suggestions, waiting for responses. Sometimes, things look like they are going so well, and all of a sudden, everything falls apart. Sometimes, after waiting a long time, a prospective shidduch is finally set up. The girl begins getting excited, hoping this could be the one. Then, on the day they are supposed to meet, the boy calls in sick and somehow never follows through. Getting rejected or overlooked is considered tremendous yesurin . We

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Left Out?

Living Emunah By Rabbi David Ashear ·

2025/01/06

One of the very difficult parts of life is when a person feels left out, when everybody else seems to have or get what he doesn't. He wonders why he has to be different. He doesn't feel like he did something so wrong to deserve less than everyone else. Seeing everyone enjoying themselves while he is left out adds to his sadness. If all of a girl's friends have gotten married and she is the only one left single, or if all of a person's friends and relatives are raising children while he and his wife

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Parashat Vayigash: The Final Corridor

Living Emunah By Rabbi David Ashear ·

2025/01/03

In this week's parasha, Vayigash , Yosef reveals himself to his brothers with the words, אני יוסף, העוד אבי חי - "I am Yosef; is my father still alive?" These words evoke the statement from Chazal, אוי לנו מיום הדין , "Woe to us from the Day of Judgment." Yosef's brothers had repeatedly expressed concern for their aged father, but when Yosef asked this question, they realized they had been contradicting themselves. They had caused their father to suffer for 22 years by selling Yosef into slavery

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Open the Pipeline

Living Emunah By Rabbi David Ashear ·

2025/01/02

One of the reasons that Hashem wants us to make a hishtadlut for our physical needs in this world is because of the spiritual elevation we are able to achieve as a result. A person is obligated to put in an effort and then believe whole heartedly that the results had nothing to do with his effort. The Chovot HaLevavot writes in the Shaar HaBitachon ( perek 3) that all a person's hishtadlut does is reveal what Hashem already decreed for him to have. And when a person worries or puts in too much

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The Weight of Our Deeds

Living Emunah By Rabbi David Ashear ·

2025/01/01

Chazal tell us the Yevanim made the Jewish People write on the horn of an ox "אין לנו חלק באלוקי ישראל - We have no share in the G-d of Israel." The Sefat Emet asked, this phrase is seemingly self- contradictory. On the one hand they were told to write that they have no share, but they were also saying that Hashem is the G-d of Israel. The Sefat Emet explained, the Yevanim admitted that indeed Hashem was the G-d of Israel, but they wanted to destroy the emunah of the Jewish People that their actions

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Chanukah: Hidden Presents

Living Emunah By Rabbi David Ashear ·

2024/12/31

If a person is going through a difficulty and he feels like his world is crashing down around him, the best thing he could do is strengthen himself like a lion and go on with life happily. Hashem is the One who has brought about the difficulty for the person's benefit. If he believes that, it would give him the strength he needs to move on. Initially the person may feel that he has nothing to look forward to and would rather just stay home and mope around. However, usually, there are hidden presents

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The First Move

Living Emunah By Rabbi David Ashear ·

2024/12/30

During these days of Chanukah, we are celebrating the fact that we have freedom to serve Hashem as we please. The Yevanim made harsh decrees that prevented the Jewish People from being able to perform mitzvot until Hashem came and saved them from their hands. We know that man has no control in this world, and the Greeks had absolutely no power to harm. It was only because Hashem decreed that those persecutions should take place that the Greeks had any ability to make those decrees. The question is

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Living Emunah By Rabbi David Ashear

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