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You Represent Him... Whether You Realize It Or NOT | Living With Emunah #380
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You’re representing Hashem… whether you realize it or not. === Series generously sponsored by Becky & Avi Katz and Family in memory of David Grossman z"l, Dovid ben Menachem Manis z"l, their beloved father and grandfather. === People don’t just see you, they experience what you represent. In this week’s Living with Emunah, Rabbi Efrem Goldberg explains what it means to live as a “brand ambassador” of Hashem... and how that changes the way we think about our choices, our tefillah, and our purpose. You’re not just living your life. You’re representing something bigger. 📌 Subscribe to @rabbiefremgoldberg for weekly Living with Emunah classes.
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Transcript
Auto-generated transcript. Not time-synced to the video.
Good morning Boca Towel, welcome back to
Living With Emunah, great to be back
together.
I'm glad the rain didn't keep you away.
Okay, kept some, kept some away.
Everyone is where they're meant to be.
Emunah series is generously sponsored by
Dr. David and Bella Morgan in memory of
Rabbi Dr. Brian Galbut and in memory of
Bella's mother we remain tremendously
grateful. Dr. Alan Chazanow remains
tremendously grateful to the Morgans for
their generosity. Also the series is
sponsored anonymously in memory of the
fallen soldiers and alumni of Benei
David Machina and Yeshiva Na'aleh. We
continue to daven from the bottom of our
hearts
for the soldiers recently injured in
Lebanon. Rabbi Chaim ben Meir ben Aryeh
Leib ben
Matana ben Sylvia David ben Ziva Leon
ben Ruth ben Revital Eitan David ben
Tova ben Mordechai ben Meira ben Asher a
complete speedy and painless Refuah
Shleimah. Two additional young men who
were injured Jacob and Verad and Hila
ben Shulamit we should hear only good
news and besuros tovus. This morning's
shiur sponsored by Eve Marks in honor of
her grandparents by Josh and Talia
Zizook l'ilui nishmas Chava Viga
Dishna bas Mordechai Yitzchak dear
cousin Vicki Frolick who taught so many
how to live with Emunah by Zivia Cooper
in commemoration of her father Dr. Mel
Daniel Mandell David Nosson Natan ben
Alter Michal bas Simcha Yanta on his
third yahrzeit. By the Berkowitz family
of Miami Beach l'ilui nishmas Avraham
ben Moshe Chaim in memory of the great
Abby Berkowitz on his second yahrzeit. A
great man, part of our extended family,
sorely missed. Everyone should find his
neshama have an aliyah and anonymously
for the Refuah Shleimah an easy smooth
recovery for Esther Penny bas Pesel
Bryndel. Thank you to everyone for their
tremendous generosity. Okay, let's get
started. We have so much to cover.
Emails, Torah, back into Rabbi David
Weiser's wonderful sefer. So much to get
into.
I don't know if the mic is picking it up
cuz I never put it on.
Okay.
See how that goes.
Okay, First I want to share uh three
brilliant emails from myself to myself
on a recent trip earlier this week to
New York. Three great things happened. I
made a little note to myself.
I just made notes. I didn't write it out
cuz I thought I would know what I was
talking about. So, let's see if I was
right. So, first of all, on the plane
I travel for a Simcha in New York this
week and uh on the plane I was sitting
next to somebody
not recognizably Jewish, not obviously
Jewish. Um and he's sitting next to me
and uh he makes some comment. I don't
know how he knew I was Jewish, but he
made some comment.
Made some comment and he said uh
"Terrible what's happening in Israel.
Terrible what's going on with Iran." I
said, "Yeah, it's really terrible and uh
you know, we're praying and miracles are
happening." He said, "Yeah, my partner
is Israeli." So, okay, he's not Jewish,
his partner's Israeli. Uh tell me more.
What do you do? He do real estate. Okay,
very nice. Then he's FaceTiming with his
wife before we take off. And his wife
with an accent says something about uh
"Oh, I just finished my prayers." So, I
didn't I didn't think she was Jewish.
Frankly, she she sounded like she might
be Muslim. She Okay, she took her
prayers. He's interested. Okay, good.
Nice guy. Good conversation. Then he
turns to me and he says,
"I'm a Hagbah specialist."
I didn't know what he was talking about
either.
So, he explains since he's a big strong
guy, since he's 13 years old he
specializes in doing a Hagbah.
He likes to lift the Torah.
And he tells me his wife was born in
Turkey, but grew up in Israel.
Is Israeli. Maybe that's his partner. I
don't know business or that was his wife
was partner. Anyway, all of it was a
great conversation. Turns out he was
Jewish. It was lovely. Made a new
friend. But the best part is he must
have texted his wife cuz he said to me,
"What do you do?" I said, "I'm a rabbi
in Shul in Boca Raton." We had a whole
conversation. In the middle of flight he
shows me a text from his wife
that God put you in a seat next to the
rabbi. That's where you're supposed to
be.
I thought, "Wow."
Not great? So, from now on, his wife is
giving the Emunah Shiur. She's uh
Anyway, that was Emunah story number one
on the way up. It was really good story.
Then Yechiel and I went to the wedding
and we pulled up and we're in traffic
because it was Brooklyn and we're uh
trying to park to get to the wedding.
And in the car in front of us on the
back of the car is a magnet. And the
magnet says,
"You are where you're meant to be." And
on top of it it says, "Emunah Shiur."
"Emunah Shiur, you are where you're
meant to be."
I said to Yechiel, "What a coincidence."
What a coincidence. Somebody in Brooklyn
gives a Shiur where they say, "You are
where you're meant to be."
Okay. I thought maybe that person,
you know, the greatest form of flattery.
Okay, but you are where you're meant to
be. Emunah Shiur, interesting magnet.
After the chuppah woman comes over to me
and she says, "You know, Rabbi, I love
the Shiur. I listen every week. In
Brooklyn, all the cars look the same.
You can never find your own car. So, I
made myself a magnet from the Shiur and
I put it on the back of the car so I can
always find my car."
So, people are making their own magnets.
"You are where you're meant to be.
Emunah Shiur." Amazing. I'm She came up
to me. Amazing story number two. And
then the next morning, I had to go to a
bank. Don't ask why. In Clifton, New
Jersey. We're staying at my daughter's
in Passaic. Had to go to a bank there.
Take care of something. Had to be out of
the state of Florida. A bank there. I
walk in and a woman is at the bank says,
"Hello, Rabbi Goldberg." I said, "Hi."
She said, "I live part of the year in
Deerfield."
I said, "Wonderful." She says, "My
husband used to love to come to the
afternoon kollel at BRAS. He came to the
Shiur." I said, "Remind me. Tell me who
your husband is." She says, "We're from
Texas. He's very tall." I said, "The big
Texan." Of course I knew her husband.
Such a special man. So, may I started to
tell her all about, "Your husband had
the biggest heart. He was always so warm
and welcoming." I remember I said to
her, "I remember your husband loved the
chuvahs of Reb Moshe Feinstein. He would
love to talk about chuvahs of Reb Moshe
Feinstein." She got a little emotional.
She said to me,
"You know,
she said today is my husband's yard
site.
And what are the odds that Hashem would
have me run into you in a bank in
Clifton, New Jersey
at this time? Right then at that moment
had to be in a bank in Clifton, New
Jersey to run into her on her husband's
yard site to tell her nice things about
her husband." And that's it. Those were
the three emails I wrote myself. Those
are my Emunah stories of this week.
Every week we all have our own. You can
write yourself, by the way. It doesn't
make you crazy. You can write yourself.
It's important to remind ourselves, to
write ourselves, to review how much you
talk about it.
We grow our Emunah the more we talk
about Emunah, the more we tell Emunah,
the more we share Emunah stories with
each other, with our family, with one
another, then the more the more Emunah
there is. Our daughter in uh was in
Israel Jerusalem last week. She was
going out of her mind. She was packing
trying to get in for Pesach. Her two
little kids can I have a heart. I
learned their ages since last week.
They're They were driving trying to get
it all done. Plus, she's still working
full time her seminary. And just at that
moment she felt like, "I don't know how
I could do this all. I don't know how
I'm going to get it all done." There's a
knock on the door. Her first cousin
lives in Bet Shemesh. Was in Jerusalem.
Stopped by to say hi. He said, "Let me
take care of the kids. You go do what
you need to do." But in our chat our
Hashgacha Protis family Emunah
Hashgacha right at that moment that she
needed it a knock on the door. Eliyahu
Hanavi. Eliyahu Hanavi came right at the
price right in the moment that she
needed it. You got to have a family
Hashgacha Protis. And if you don't have
it for your family, have it for
yourself. Tell yourself Emunah stories.
Tell yourself keep a journal. A personal
journal of the times you saw Hashem
throughout the day throughout the day.
It's unbelievable. Get into the Uber
yesterday to go to the airport to come
back and an African-American driver in
the Uber I hear Mordechai Shapiro music.
I said, "What's going on over here?" So,
I said to him,
"Is this your playlist? You enjoy this
music?" And he said with an accent like
he came from the islands,
"I like to see my clients and put on the
music they'll enjoy."
Now, turns out he was a better DJ than a
driver.
Practically had to bench Como when we
got to LaGuardia Airport.
But, it was very kind, very lovely.
Hashgacha Protishem, amazing. I got to
go to the airport with Mona Heshapir.
Okay, now to other people's emails now
that we covered my own. My daughter left
some textbooks in the kitchen breakfast
area. The books were there for months.
They did not move, so I assumed she
didn't need them. She had another set at
school for other reasons. So, on a
cleaning spree a few weeks ago
called Pesach, I got rid of those books.
Oops, last night she came and said,
"Where are the books?"
I was putting away Pesach groceries in
the basement, so I said I'd look for the
books when I was done. Of course, I knew
where they were. They were gone.
But, Hashem had sorted out the problem.
A colleague had texted me 2 weeks ago
asking if I wanted a huge stack of
textbooks our kids were done with. Given
they're expensive, I said, "Yes.
Thank you very much." In that stack were
the same copies of the ones that were
missing at last night. Thank you,
Hashem, for solving this and avoiding a
very angry teenager. It's the little
things that are really also the big
things. Little things, the little wink,
the little nod, the little hug from
Hashem, they make us feel they make us
feel good. Dear Rebbetzin Goldberg,
thank you for the munashram because it
really helped me get through difficult
times. I live in Israel every every year
my parents make Pesach at home. Two of
my mom's sisters live in America. My
mom's brother lives in Israel like us,
along with my grandparents. In honor of
my grandparents' 50th anniversary, my
sister's bat mitzvah, my cousin's bar
mitzvah, my cousin's bat mitzvah, my
grandparents planned to take the whole
family away in Israel for Pesach.
This would have been the first time my
parents didn't have to make Pesach. We
were all looking forward to it all year.
We don't get to spend too much time with
our family in America. Although I wish I
could say the story has a happy ending
where everyone is able to come,
unfortunately, my cousins decided to
cancel because of the war. My family and
I are very disappointed and instead of
spending Pesach away with our cousins,
we'll be home. Even though it's
disappointing, Baruch Hashem, I'm able
to see that I am where I'm meant to be.
So is the rest of my family. I
understand even though I can't see right
now why Hashem wants me to be home for
Pesach. It must be the right place. May
Hashem allow us to all be zoche to be in
Yerushalayim together this Pesach.
Absolutely. And kol hakavod. It was very
gratifying, satisfying, also an honor
and a chiyuv. But I've heard from many
many many people who have tried to
travel to Israel, from Israel, within
Israel, that embrace your place, that
language, that lashon is making the
rounds. It's nice to hear that the
refuah before the makah we learned last
week about that remarkable remarkable
woman, Ms. Piton, who lost three of her
four children and said, "Faith is not
born in a day. Faith is not discovered
in a day. You have to be working on it
your whole life so that when you need
it, that emunah muscle is there, it's
strong, it can lift you, support you,
and it can and it can carry you and it
can carry you." So we've been learning
and we've been saying embrace your
place, we are where we're meant to be,
what's our mission in this moment,
what's next for us? Because little did
we know we'd need to draw from that bank
account we've been making deposits into
in those moments that we have to embrace
we are where we're meant to be. But I'll
follow up that email with the next one.
Dear Rabbi Gober, hope you're doing
well. I'm in seminary in Israel. I was
planning to come home for Pesach, but
the war and recent flight cancellations,
things have been pretty uncertain. I'm
not sure what's going to happen. I know
I'm really lucky to be here in Israel.
Seminary has been very special. Same
time I was really hoping to be with my
family for Pesach. It's a little hard
emotionally trying to figure out how to
think about everything. I'm trying to
understand how much hishtadlus I should
be putting in trying to get home and at
what point I should stop pushing so hard
and just trust whatever happens is what
Hashem wants.
So that's a great question. That's a
great question. And this person is not
the only one who asked it. I got it from
several people. And it's the question
that we've examined and we've studied
and we're still studying because there
is no clear answer. You open up the
Shulchan Aruch and there is no siman and
sa'if that tells you here's hishtadlus,
here's how much effort to put in for
your health, how much effort in
shidduchim, how much effort in business,
how much effort in trying to arrange a
flight home. There's no clear spelled
out definition of effort. And so I'll
draw from the principles that we tried
to share which are what's reasonable. If
you do less than the reasonable amount
of effort,
then you may not be leaning on emunah,
you might be leaning and waiting for a
miracle. If you take excessive effort,
you do too much initiative and effort,
then where's your emunah? Then you think
it's all up to you. You think you're in
charge and you're in control and you
need to make space and recognize that
really it's up to Hashem. So, the answer
is always what is a reasonable. We're
going to get into this more. What is a
reasonable amount of effort? What is a
reasonable amount of initiative? In this
case, for those who are trying to
arrange tickets in both directions, but
whatever their plans were, a reasonable
amount of effort is an insane effort.
Anything less than storming the counters
of El Al in the airport, on the phones,
on WhatsApp, on website, and you're
unlikely. Anything less than filling out
every link from every group, from every
person you ever heard of, to get on
every list to have any chance of getting
where you want to go is is too little
effort. So, reasonable effort in this
case happens to be
what ordinarily otherwise would be
excessive. That's reasonable.
But once you do that, and I've been in
contact with many who have been doing
that.
Once one does that and says, "I filled
out the links. I followed the
suggestions. I made the phone calls. I
sat on hold. I asked for what I asked
for." At this point, then you let go and
let God. At that point, you embrace your
place and your mission in the moment you
say, "However it will turn out to be is
where I meant to be.
Where I'm meant to spend time." What
other What is the alternative? I say
this every week to you. Can't believe
you come back. What is the alternative?
What is the alternative to embracing
your place?
Denying your place?
Living with regret, disappointment,
frustration, anger? That won't change
your place. That doesn't get you on a
flight. That doesn't bring your family
together for Pesach. That doesn't change
your reality. All it does is sacrifice
your mental health and sanity, your
physical health and well-being. well
does it drive you crazy. But when you
take a deep breath, and with a smile you
say, "We'll find out on this adventure
what's next?" We'll find out on this
next journey, on this next encampment,
which really is itself a journey.
As we wrote about in our article this
week, what's the alternative to it? And
so what is the right amount? I think is
whatever is reasonable. And each
circumstance, time and place will
determine and dictate what is
reasonable. So what's reasonable
ordinarily is different than what's
reasonable in extraordinary
circumstances. We are in extraordinary
circumstances and times, and there's a
different amount of what's considered to
be reasonable. Baruch Hashem, bli ayin
hara, one of our children already came
back, and the other right now is on the
third leg of our trip from Tel Aviv to
Athens, Athens to Munich, Munich to
Miami. And Baruch Hashem, bli ayin hara,
that's Ordinarily, imagine your seminary
student, you say, "I booked you a ticket
home for Pesach. You're going to be
going to Athens, to Munich, to to Miami.
You're going to stay in an Airbnb far
from the airport. We're going to"
They look at you and they say, "Are you
kidding me? Are you kidding me?"
In these times they say, "Thank you so
much. How did you How did you get that?
I can't believe it. How did you manage
that? How did you get that? How did you
get that? Thank you so much." The times
dictate what's reasonable, what's
ordinary and what's extraordinary, and
therefore our efforts should commence.
Hi. Here's our moon in real time. I
brought three of my teenage daughters to
Boca last week for a two-day mini
vacation. Two conditions were: we had to
wake up early to see a sunrise down by
the ocean, and we had to go to the shiur
at 9:00 a.m.
They loved the class. Fast forward 12
hours, it was time to board our flight
back. Delay after delay until the
captain announced that we would be
diverted, and that our airport was
closed until 2:30 a.m. Either wait
around to get back or exit the plane. We
kept quoting the Rebbe Goldberg's
mantra, "Being stuck is also part of the
journey." So we got off and called my
husband who was in London. We woke him
up bright and early, and he told us to
Uber to Lakewood and worry about the
park car in Newark park parking lot the
next day. 10 minutes later he called to
thank us. Because we woke him in the
middle of the night, he checked his own
flight and he saw it was cancelled. He
was able to reschedule because of the
crazy hour, he got on a different
flight. We got the Emunah punchline. The
girl said, "You must send an email to
the Emunah shear. Our delay caused my
husband to get able to get out of London
fat kosher v'sameach." Beautiful those
little moments where you can say, "This
was annoying and frustrating, but I
found out why and it worked out." Often
we don't, sometimes it takes a long
time. Sometimes that happens fairly
quickly. Those moments it's a hug, it's
a wink, embrace from Hashem. I write
this letter at 9:00 at night on a
Tuesday after realizing I lost my
wallet. That's in the chapter in the
book on the lost wallets. It's a growing
chapter. After frantically looking
around for several minutes and realizing
my wallet was nowhere to be found, I
quickly called the gymnastics arena that
I was at with my daughter only to
realize they were closed, there was no
one to speak to. I know many people have
written to you about something like this
before. As an avid listener to the
podcast, top 1% on Spotify I might add,
yes, it's a flex. I realized I had not
lost my wallet for any reason other than
I was supposed to. Instead of freaking
out, worrying, and literally losing
sleep, I decided I was going to use my
Emunah muscle, which is probably as big
as one of Arnold Schwarzenegger's
biceps, and instead of being a warrior,
I would be a warrior. I left a message
at the front desk voicemail cuz after
all we have to do our hishtadlus, and
then I let go and let God. Writing this
email now, I have no idea if I will find
my wallet or not.
I very well may have to call the credit
card company to cancel my cards, got a
new driver get a new driver's license,
replace some cash, but okay. I'm always
also aware that I got I may very well
may be able to write a follow-up to this
part tomorrow morning saying that when I
woke up I got a call telling me they had
my wallet with all its contents. Either
way, it's for the best. I love this
email that's in the middle in real time.
We don't know how the story ends.
Cuz Emunah and Hashgacha Pratis are not
only, and I lost my wallet, it was
perfect cuz when I went there someone
had a heart attack, I gave them CPR,
brought them back to life. We don't
know.
We don't know. The better Emunah stories
because life, in real life, it doesn't
always have that happy ending. In real
life, you can't always tie a neat bow
around it. In real life, you don't
always find out why this was perfect and
meant to be. Often, it's frustrating,
but that too is Hashgacha Protis. That
too, as I'm writing this, I'm
remembering something that happened to
me earlier today. I'm a physician's
assistant in New York. Today, in the
hospital, my morning rounds, something
happened. I went to go see one of my
patients schedule. I walked in the room
to find a book open on their table. It's
not a nor- not an abnormal occurrence,
but something told me to look again.
Closer inspection, the book on the table
was a Bible. The patient was not Jewish.
Also happened to be in a comatose state
state, so seeing an open book and a
Bible in front of them seemed rather out
of place.
I stopped, and before examining the
patient, I looked at the pages the Bible
were open. As I looked down, I couldn't
believe it. There it was. It was open to
the book of Psalms. Can you guess which
Psalm it was open to?
That's right.
Psalm 23. Remembering this now gives me
chizuk, that no matter where I whether I
find my wallet or not, no matter the
outcome, Hashem is in charge, and it's
all for the good. Thank you for the
weekly words of inspiration for helping
me even in the smallest silly moments of
peace and tranquility. I hope you're
pro- I am proud of you. I hope you're
proud of me. I know I am. And PS, I'll
let you know. Please do. Let us know how
that turns out. I am proud of him, and
he should be proud of himself, because
in those moments when we in fact use our
Emunah muscle, and we're learning in
Tanya, we just learned this morning, the
competition, the fight between the head
and the heart, the ego and the Elokus,
who are we? What defines us? How do we
react? Are we impulsive? Do we indulge
our animal impulse, our ego? Or are we
able to reign supreme, to be sovereign,
to have discipline, for our godly soul
to dictate what we'll do in that moment?
And each time, whether we turn down the
Cape Cod potato chips at midnight, or
whether we choose to not, in his words,
freak out and lose our cool over a lost
wallet, when we in fact express our
godly soul, and it defeats our animal
impulse, be proud. We should be proud in
that moment. Should be proud. Should be
proud. Something to be proud about. That
is what we're meant to do. That is That
is what we're working on and what we're
fighting. Dear Rabbi Goldberg, started
listening to your mini series. I love
hearing the the
darshaning of the emails in the
beginning. I appreciate the story
doesn't need to have a traditional
happily ever after ending.
About 5 weeks ago
a motzei Shabbos the shaliach of my shul
let me know that a boy was interested in
meeting me. After taking a quick look at
his resume, I had a feeling there might
be potential. References were called on
my behalf. Everything pointed to this
being a wonderful idea. He didn't just
sound great on paper. Meeting him
confirmed he truly was. We continued to
date for a few weeks and although we
were still getting to know each other, I
was grateful to Hashem for the
opportunity to spend time with someone
who was a true mensch. One day while we
were out to eat, he suggested we
cross-reference our genetic testing
results. I tested 1 year ago. When the
genetic counselor called with my
results, she reassured me I had nothing
to worry about. Everyone carries
something and my something was rare,
non-life-threatening, unlikely I'd run
into any problems. As I was telling the
boy that I usually
forget to even ask about results cuz I
had nothing to worry about, he pulled
out his own report.
It revealed he carries the exact same
gene.
I couldn't believe this. I was shocked.
But managed to reason with myself that
it would probably be fine because after
all it wasn't life-threatening. That, of
course, was a major oversimplification
of the situation because when thinking
about one's future children, there's
more to consider than at least they will
live. We scheduled a call with the
genetic counselor hoping there might be
some reassuring perspective.
Unfortunately, it wasn't the case. As
limited research has been done in this
area leaving us with a decision to make.
I wish the story had a better ending,
but we decided it wouldn't be
responsible to take the chance given the
gap in research. Needless to say, it was
incredibly disappointing.
According to the screening data, the US,
UK, France, Australia, New Zealand,
approximately 14 in 100,000 have this
gene.
.01%
of the population.
Of course, it's an oversimplification as
the gene is more prevalent in Ashkenazi
communities. Still, I couldn't help but
think, I am genetically compatible with
99.99%
of the population
and the great boy I'm dating happens to
fall into the .01%
Despite this even with the
disappointment, I was overcome with the
feeling that it is such a bracha to end
things with someone on such good terms.
For whatever reason, we weren't meant to
continue our relationship. Rather than
feel hurt, which so often happens when a
relationship of substantial length ends,
there's something deeply deeply
comforting about knowing this wasn't
about choices or mistakes. It was simply
a reality neither of us could change.
There's a certain comfort in feeling
this was completely out of our hands.
So, I don't know why Hashem had me meet
such a special person without the chance
of it working out. I also don't look
back at our time spent together as a
waste. On the contrary, something could
be a bracha even if it wasn't meant to
last. I don't have the full hindsight
now, but I know that everything's for a
reason. Hashem will give us both the
right person in the right time. Thank
you so much. What a powerful email. I
actually followed up with her
because I suggested there are PGD,
preimplantation genetic diagnosis. There
are ways that even when someone two are
carriers, for whatever reason they chose
not to pursue that and of course that's
their their right, but I'm wowed by her
strength, by that strength to interpret
that way. How many others would say,
"God, where are you? How could you? I
don't need you. I don't want you. Why
would you?" Instead, she says, "I'm
comforted to know." What a Muna. So
powerful and we can draw, again, we can
join on the hotspot of those who are
fire with a Muna to help grow and
strengthen and increase ours. Okay, one
more and then we'll get back into our
get back into our learning.
So many good ones.
I want to start by saying thank you for
the share. I found your share on Apple
podcast.
Spotify was not the shadchan this time.
About a year ago, I started listening at
part 294 and made my way through the
shiurim and now I'm all caught up. I'm
now going back to part one. I'm trying
to catch up entirely. I've gained so
much chizuk and many times shiur I was
listening would connect with something
happening that day
and inspire and strengthen me. I'm in my
mid-20s and live with a chronic illness
that affects people both physically and
mentally. It's not easy. I've been
through ups and downs, many, many downs,
even after I thought there were nowhere
lower to go. Been to doctors, have tests
and appointments. I tried medications
and treatments. Spent money, time,
effort to heal. Baruch Hashem, I've made
improvements. I'm now dealing solely
with physical illness and not struggling
with the mental. Here's my question.
What's darshan this as we dive back in?
While going through so much, I've become
a much stronger and more mature person.
I've also lost my connection to Hashem
through tefillah.
After getting so many no's, or more
accurately yes's that I translated into
no's,
it's gotten too hard to daven and ask
and not see the yeshua that I need. I
don't daven formally every day. I don't
daven shacharit or mincha. Even on Rosh
Hashanah and Yom Kippur, I struggle.
When I do try, I have a very hard time
getting the words out. Speaking the
words has become too much, especially
with formal prayer. I resigned myself to
only informal talking to Hashem in my
own words, but even this is too hard. At
this point, I don't even say the words
out loud. I just think them. I have my
time of day where I sit down and think
all my tefillot, my thank yous to
Hashem, everything I want to tell him
and ask of him, and go through my day
with him. Given that tefillah is so
powerful and loved by Hashem, I wish I
could at least be able to daven verbally
and even more to daven formal. I'd be
grateful for any chizuk or guidance the
Rav could offer on this. Another
powerful email. Here's somebody who
spent their life in chronic pain
and understandably is struggling to
connect with tefillah and doesn't say,
"I get a pass.
I'm exempt.
I I pay the price.
I give to God in my own ways." She says,
"I miss it. I long for it. Could you
give me chizuk so I could get back to
it?" People are extraordinary.
People are amazing.
And people are an inspiration to us if
we open our eyes and we see and we
listen and we follow and we friend. I
don't mean online, offline, people.
They're amazing.
So, number one, if you're listening, you
are amazing. You're amazing.
And then the person says, she writes,
"I'm struggling. I don't daven. I really
want to daven again. I do set a time
every day where I sit disconnected from
everything else and I think what I'm
grateful to Hashem for, what I ask him
for, what I need, but I don't daven.
I don't daven.
That is the holiest and highest, that is
the deepest and most authentic, that is
the most sacred form of tefillah there
is. The rest of davening that we do is
so we can get to that level of that
davening. So Hashem says, "Open the
siddur and say this text cuz even when
you're not going to feel like it, even
when you think you have nothing to say,
even when you're not in the mood, I want
to make sure we keep the channel of
communication open. But the real
davening takes place between the lines
of the siddur. The most authentic and
the most real davening happens when the
siddur is closed. We're talking to him
from our heart. We're pleading and
talking. When we're in conversation.
When we're expressing gratitude. When
we're thankful. That is the most real,
the most That That is the highest level
of tefillah that there is.
So you, if you're listening, should not
think I'm not davening. You should know
that you are davening. Halavai our
davening would reach the level of your
davening. Okay, you also miss the will
and the want to open a siddur and say
those words. Talk to him for it. Ask him
for it. And get back to it slowly. Open
the siddur and say one line and close
the siddur. Open the siddur while you
talk to meditate, don't even look in it,
and then close it. Do little things,
small incremental growth. Advance.
Progress. Little by little and you'll be
back. And ask him in those conversations
that you think you're not davening, but
at the highest level of davening, ask
him, "Hashem, I don't feel, I don't
connect, I don't want right now to open
the siddur to talk to you, but please
help me come back cuz I miss it. Help
me." Talk and ask for it. That's exactly
what we're learning in Sha'arei Tefillah
from Rabbenu Bachya ibn Paquda. I gave
you handouts. This is the till the end
of this chapter and after this we're
going to go to another piece. We're
going to learn something from the Ger
Yeshiva together. But I want to get to
it. It's going to still take a little
bit of what a little bit of time. But
he's been telling us, "Talk. Daven for
davening.
Ask for emunah. It sounds paradoxical.
It's counterintuitive, but it works and
it's right and it's righteous.
So, number one, know that you are
davening and number two, daven to daven.
That's what we say, "Hashem s'fatai
tiftach."
Maybe say those words even when you
don't feel like opening the siddur for
now. "Hashem s'fatai tiftach u'fi yagid
tehilatecha."
That's a pasuk in Tehillim.
It's a pasuk in Tehillim. David Hamelech
himself. Why did David say that?
He must have hit a wall where he said,
"I can't open my lips. I don't want to
daven."
David Hamelech, don't think you're
alone. Don't think you're the first and
don't feel ashamed or guilty for it.
David Hamelech, King David, the great
author, the great poet, the one who gave
us all of Tehillim and most of our
davening. David Hamelech himself said,
"Hashem s'fatai tiftach." Open my lips.
I don't feel like I don't want to. I
don't feel adequate or eligible. I don't
feel worthy of talking to you, so I need
your help. "Hashem s'fatai tiftach."
So, when we're not in the mood or we
don't feel right or we don't feel
worthy,
say those words even without opening the
siddur. That opening line that we
normally introduce our Shemoneh Esrei
Amidah with, say those words. "Hashem
s'fatai tiftach u'fi yagid tehilatecha."
Hashem, I don't feel like it, but help
me. Move my lips. Open my mouth. Help
me. "Hashem s'fatai tiftach." Pischu
lanu midvar Rav Nachman bar David
Abuhatzeira. Kuf lamed vav. Okin
Darshimu Gemara.
Top of the left-hand column. Good
morning, Rav Mustafa Koffi. Hamispallel,
sar she'eino einav l'mata v'libo
l'ma'ala. When someone davens, you put
your eyes down and your heart up. Einav
l'mata, your eyes down. She'be mashma
ro'eh b'einav yadai lo. B'zeh l'inyanei
matzah she'einam gashmi'us. When it
comes to the gashmi'us, the here and
now, the material, the physical, so a
person should be gratified and satisfied
with what they have. What I have is what
I need. What I have is what's meant for
me. I can work and try and take
reasonable initiative to have more, but
after I do, when I look and take
inventory of what I have, what I have is
from Hashem, what I have is what I meant
to have, what I have is what's right for
me. Einav Lamata, when you're davening,
when it comes to gashmius, when it comes
to the physical material, look down.
Belibo Lamala, but your heart should be
up. Bedvarim she believe, berus of the
liba. When it comes to matters of the
heart,
when it comes to ruchniyus,
spirituality, then don't look down and
say, "Eh, I'm spiritual enough. I'm
enough of emunah, I daven enough, I'm
religious enough, I'm kosher enough,
I'm Shabbos enough." No, when it comes
to liba, when it comes to your heart,
when it comes to your spiritual health,
Einav Lamala, Liba Lamala, look up. You
can always have more, always growing,
always advancing, always progress,
always more and more and more. Never
done, never finished, never complacent,
never apathetic. Always more. What's
next? What's next? How can we grow?
We're never finished, we're never done.
We're never done. Always we get it
backwards.
We get it completely backwards. Too many
of us, not all of us, but we get it
backwards.
When it comes to the material, the
physical, we say, "Never enough. I want
more." Buy the next thing, work hard for
more money, get more of a return on the
money I have. More and more and more. We
never meet with our financial advisor
and say, "Good, shine. Yeah, good."
We say, "Wait a one second, but the
market did better than your investments.
Why did we miss out on what the market
got? Why don't we have more? Why aren't
we making more? I need my money to make
more money for me." We go to our boss
and we don't say, boss says, "I'd like
to talk to you about a potential raise."
No, I'm good. I'm good. What about I
have?
Yeah, more, more. I need a raise, I need
a promotion, I need more, I need more, I
need more. We never say the car hit
100,000 mi, I'm good. Let's take it to
200,000. We say, "What's the new model?
I need more, I need the latest. We never
look at the the phone that we have and
we say it's good it makes calls, it's
connected, it's good enough. No, there's
a new model. What are the latest
features? You got to download the latest
iOS, the newest version. I need more and
latest. When it comes to the physical
material world, we're never satisfied.
We want more and more and more.
But when it comes to spirituality,
say, would you come with me to the
shear? I'm not ready. Been going my
whole life. I went to enough shear and I
heard enough brushes. I read a partial
enough times. I've said enough Ezra.
Enough already. Enough, it's good
enough. It's good enough. Whatever time
I make it to shear, good enough. However
much part of davening I don't talk, good
enough. The shearum,
it's good enough. It's a shape, it's got
a K in it. It's a good it's good enough.
It's got some Hebrew writing on it. It's
good enough.
When it comes to the material physical
world, it's never enough. We always want
more. When it comes to the spiritual
world, it's enough. Our children, they
better not become
can't become too from.
They have to stay just like us. Not too
much, not too little. There was a famous
comedian who had a line about the people
who drive next to you on the highway.
If they drive faster than you, they're a
maniac. And if they drive slower than
you, they're an imbecile.
They have to drive exactly the speed you
go.
So the speed limit is 50. If you're from
New York, another reason they moved to
Florida, mayor just lowered the speed
limit today
to 15 mph. I don't know why, where,
what, whatever.
Some say just collect collect more
tickets. I don't know. I don't know what
But whatever the speed limit is, 50. So
if you drive 52, anyone goes faster is a
maniac, slower is an imbecile. If you
drive 59, anyone who goes faster is a
maniac, anyone who goes slower is
Everything in life, everyone has to be
just like you. So your children, 9:00
minion shabbas morning, usually get
there 9:15. If they come there at 9:16,
what's the matter with them? If they got
there at 9:14, so so from, so right
wing, so fanatical. What happened? They
flipped out. They have to come exactly
when you came. Talk in the parts of
davening exactly when you talk.
Eat out exactly where you're willing to
eat out. Do exactly what you do.
Everyone's so worried, so fearful, so
afraid the children will flip out.
What's going to happen? It's the
greatest bracha in the world, your
children.
It's the greatest bracha. Look at this
world and look at the direction people
can go.
I love to quote my uncle,
Rebbe Elazar, zichrono livracha, my
beloved, my wonderful uncle.
My uncle used to say, "At a bris we say,
'Zeh katan gadol yihiyeh.' Zeh katan,
may this katan be gadol. May this katan
grow up be gadol." You're at the bris,
you hope to be at the barmitzvah. You go
from being a katan to a gadol. Zeh katan
gadol yihiyeh.
So my uncle would add, "Zeh katan gadol
mimeni yihiyeh."
May this katan, right now he's so small,
he doesn't know, he's not mature, he's
not developed, he's not advanced, he's
not observant, he's a little pipsqueak,
a little nothing. Gadol mimeni, he
become greater than I am.
Not just may he become a gadol. Gadol
mimeni yihiyeh. Zeh katan gadol mimeni
yihiyeh. Is there a greater bracha in
the world for us than our children to be
bigger talmidei chachamim, to have more
yiras Hashem, to have greater middos, to
give more tzedaka, to live with more
patience, to be a better husband, a
better wife, a better mother, a better
father? We want them to surpass us.
There's something deeply wrong with a
parent who says they want their child to
be exact Don't be Don't be Don't make
more money. Don't be smarter. Don't be
firmer, for sure not. Don't be No,
that's wrong. That's wrong. Chazal said
the Gemara says, "L'chol adam mekaneh, a
person can be jealous of everybody chutz
mibno umitilmido." You can be jealous of
everybody but your children and your
students. The result was that they're
one and the same. Your students are
meant to be your children. They're
supposed to be that feeling you have is
the same. So you you you could and
should never ever be jealous of your
children. Of your children. You want
them to surpass us. We should want them
to surpass us. So we get it totally
backwards. When it comes to the physical
material world, more and more, next,
latest, greatest. I want more.
Spiritually, I'm good.
I'm good. Good where I was. I'm good
with the length of my shmoneh esrei. I'm
good with my understanding of the
parsha. I'm good with the level of the
tzedakah I'm giving. Good with the
amount of chesed I'm doing. I'm good I'm
good good. I'm good.
But we got it backwards. It should be
exactly the opposite. Yitain einav
lemala velibo lemala.
We learned last week.
Hashamayim ki Hashem hu Elokeim
bashamayim mima'al veal ha'aretz
mitachas.
That we learned
that a person should do the opposite.
When it comes to the material physical,
I work hard trying to earn and have
more. Whatever I have, I'm good. I'm
good. I'm good. It's what Hashem It's
what I'm meant to have.
But when it comes to spiritually, I'm
never good.
Never good. Libo lemala. Always looking
up. Always more more. Where can I add?
Where can I grow? Where can I progress?
Where can I What can I do more? What can
I do more? Tefila bo ofen zeh gam segula
lekabalas hatefilos. When a person
davens in such a way, it's a segula that
the rest of our tefilos will be heard.
That word segula,
it's a trigger word.
Maybe just for me. But that word segula,
we don't mean segula here as in
shortcut.
Segula is not shtick. Segula is not
something that you can mindlessly do and
you don't have to care about anything
else.
What he means is that if you daven in
such a way, all your tefila is elevated,
is enriched. All of it is more powerful.
Kikashe libo lemala berush delibo
leshamayim, zocheh shetala tefilaso
lemala.
When your heart is looking up to heaven,
when you want more,
so your your tefila ascends with it.
If you're looking down,
looking down again as the Rebbe is
expressing, looking down means material
physical and satisfied done. Looking up
means spiritual, more, growth,
aspiration.
So, if you're looking up, if you're if
you have great ambition spiritually,
when you look up, boom, you send your
tfilos sonic speed straight up.
Next page.
The tight, the translation of that
possuk brilliantly is, again, Hashem
looks and he says, "Why are you asking
for that thing? Are you looking for the
physical in that thing or the spiritual?
Why do you want a bigger house?
Do you want a bigger house to host more
people?
Do you want a bigger house to host more
parlor meetings? Do you want a bigger
house to coordinate more chesed? Do you
want a bigger house cuz you want more
people sitting at your seder table?"
The planning of that Pesach is of course
cleaning the house and making menus and
finding a way to pay for matzah.
But the most important planning you'll
do for Pesach is figuring out who might
be alone if you don't invite them.
Who needs
an invitation?
Who deserves your company?
How can you open up your own kodish when
you say via echo?
How can we make sure that we're going to
share the bounty and the plenty and what
we have with others?
The Pesach preparation is not just about
cleaning the physical, it's about who
can I call that I haven't spoken to for
too long. How can I collect clean out
the chametz of selflessness in my life?
That's part of the Pesach prep. So, why
do I want this house? And Hashem, help
me earn the income that I can buy the
Pesach things. Why? For myself or to
invite and host others?
Why? Why do I want all these things?
Hashem examines what's underneath that
request for that gashmius.
We daven for our health, our mobility,
our well-being. Why? Hashem says, "Why
are you asking for those things? Cuz you
want it for you? You just want to get
back on the tennis courts tennis courts
and the golf course? You just want it
for you to go on vacation?
Or you want it because you realize you
have a mission and a purpose?"
I've said this in many contexts and I'll
repeat it.
Our entire davening is not only
transformed in our
presence, mindfulness, and sincerity
when we say it. It's transformed in
where it goes and how it's received when
the driver of our davening is not about
us. It's not ego, but it's Elokus. In
other words,
imagine the boss calls you and says, "I
have an assignment for you.
I have a critical mission mission for
you."
You say that that fantastic. I'm all in.
I'm ready. I accept it upon myself. But
I need I need an expense account.
Can How am I going to get where I'm
supposed to go to do it?
Will you pay for the ticket?
And food allocation and other expenses
that will be needed for the mission.
So when a person says to Hashem, "I'm
here in this world for a mission. Life
is not about me. It's about what I can
do for you.
But I Hashem at there expenses and I
can't do it if you don't help me with
it. So please help me earn an income and
help me do well so I can use it all and
dedicate it. I don't mean give it away.
Live in a big beautiful house and drive
a wonderful car and wear beautiful
things. But all of that doing to be an
agent and ambassador of Hashem. Do it to
be a kiddush Hashem in this world. Do it
to interact with others and draw them
close to him. We're learning in siddur
if it's now kedusha. Nekadesh Hashemcha
barabim. Kedusha according to some might
be a kiyum, a fulfillment of the
biblical obligation to make a kiddush
Hashem. When you respond to kedusha and
we turn to one another and we say,
"Nekadesh Hashemcha barabim. I am
prepared and committed. I affirm my
responsibility to sanctify you in this
world." It means I walk around, I am a
brand ambassador. I'm a brand
ambassador.
I'm a brand ambassador. I represent God.
And the way people will interact will
either bring them closer or not bring
them close to him.
It's a brand ambassador. Everybody's
talking, so I might as well also. Zevy
Samet, the great basketball player while
he was the last 4 years,
who in the sweet 16 while he has never
gotten further, farthest they ever got,
Division 3 this year, scored I think 43
points in that final game. Wears a big
kippah on his head every game is such a
mensch and used his place on that team
and being an absolute superstar to
promote and share divrei Torah, to try
to spiritually elevate his teammates,
many of whom took on greater observance
throughout their time playing with him
on team, coaches, opponents who saw the
kiddush Hashem that he is.
Superstar basketball? Absolutely. Hashem
gave him talents and gifts and he's
worked hard to hone them. Absolutely.
He's a fantastic young man. We We had
him on Behind the Bima a couple years
ago, maybe last year, and it's worth
listening. He's a fantastic young man.
He's a fantastic young man. But he said,
"Why do I have this basketball? Just to
play basketball? No. Hashem, you gave me
talents and skills. You gave me the
ability to play ball. I'm going to use
that to be a brand ambassador. I'm going
to wear I'm going to wear that yarmulke
on my head when so many others throw it
off while they play sports. I'm going to
be disciplined and regulate the way I
act and react on the court and off of
it. I'm going to use the spotlight and
the microphone for the
talents and skills you've given to tell
everyone about Hashem and share divrei
Torah on a regular basis. Really
extraordinary extraordinary kiddush
Hashem. Some people are wowed by his
basketball. And it's worth
it's worth being wowed by. Super super
impressive.
Not nearly as impressive to me as this
kiddush Hashem. Much more impressive.
Much much more impressive. That's a
choice that he made about how he was
going to use it.
And that's a choice each of us have. And
the talents, the skills, the gifts, the
opportunities, the invitations that we
have, the resources, the time, the
energy,
Hashem gave it to us.
And we need it. Cuz if we're going to
fulfill our mission, we have to have an
expense account. So, coming back to
davening, when we turn to him and we
ask, what are we asking for? Hashem, I
like nice things, so please make me have
a lot of money.
Hashem, I enjoy feeling healthy, so
please let me let all my parts work.
Or is the tfila Hashem, when my knee
hurts and I need it replaced, I can't
get to shul to daven to you.
I can't attend the shiurim and feel
close to you.
I can't make and deliver food to help
other of your children. So, please help
my knees and my hips and my joints. Help
me get over this cold or this flu. Help
me feel well so I can serve you.
That is a categorically different tfila.
Our prayer is entirely different. It's
with purpose. When it is couched in the
context of, Hashem, I'm asking for these
things not for me, but how can I best
serve you? Of course, if you're healthy
and serve him, you'll also feel good and
enjoy it. Hashem wants us to. He wants
us to. Of course, if you have a big
beautiful house and you can host others,
you're also entitled to enjoy it. Enjoy.
Of course, if you have a car and you
offer rides and carpool and you're
delivering things to people who need and
you're using it in wonderful ways, you
could also enjoy that it's plush and
it's heated and it's cool and it's this
feature and that. Enjoy.
He wants us to enjoy, but he wants us to
enjoy in the context of serving him.
It's all about how we serve him. And so,
and so he looks and he examines each of
our tfilos as R' Dov Ber HaChasid Era.
That's a taitsch term
Odim Medabrim
V'einam Yishmaim. Odim Medabrim, while
they're speaking, says Hashem, I check,
what are they really saying? Ego or
Elokus? What are they really asking for?
For themselves or to serve me? What's
this really all about? What's it really
all about? How are we living our lives?
That's what this is all about. Nishmasi,
my soul. Is my soul on fire? Am I a
body? Am I a soul? Am I in a
relationship with him? Am I living for
me? Am I living for others? What is my
life really all about? And here's the
crazy thing. I just said it in Tanya
Shiur this morning.
I'm going to keep saying it and keep
writing about it. And I'm just working
out of it for myself. And I hope it'll
help and inspire others.
Here's the crazy thing. When you live
for ego, for yourself,
and you think that's going to bring the
greatest happiness, it's the opposite.
The people who are living for
themselves, who are driven by ego,
are the most unhappy, depressed,
anxious, miserable.
And when a person lives for Elokus, when
a person lives for a mission and a
purpose, and why am I here, and doing
for others,
they find the greatest happiness.
The greatest happiness, the greatest
purpose, the greatest fulfillment, the
greatest tranquility, the greatest peace
of mind, the greatest peace of mind.
If you're feeling miserable, and there
are reasons to. Certainly don't judge or
blame anyone who does. People who face,
as we read, chronic pain and chronic
illness.
If you've ever had, I saw someone in
Shiur this morning said, "I won't be at
the Tanya Shiur. I have a root canal. I
got to go to the dentist early this
morning."
Ooh. Have you ever had a toothache?
Now, imagine the pain of that toothache
never subsides. You never get relief,
and it can never be healed. And you're
just living chronically with pain.
People who live with chronic pain,
that's what they're living with.
So, when they seem a little bit off
kilter, when they seem a little bit
short with you, when they seem a little
bit they could have been a little bit
nicer,
don't judge them. You have no idea, or
maybe you do, what it's like to live
with chronic, chronic, chronic pain. To
live with chronic pain,
the empathy and empathy we should have
for the people who live who live that
way, with chronic pain.
With chronic pain, and still have
emunah, and still daven,
extraordinary. Absolutely extraordinary.
Absolutely extraordinary. But, a person
who's living now with chronic physical
pain. A person is feeling down and out,
depressed, anxious, worried, doesn't
know what will be. You want to break out
of it? Here is the advice. It's not
mine. It's what mental health
professionals are giving more and more
and more. Volunteer.
Volunteer. There are a group of women
who after this year, which is about to
end, every, what's today? Wednesday.
Every Wednesday morning now, they go
from here, and you don't even have to go
outside, you don't even have to get wet,
you don't even have to travel far,
they go from here to the closet. I don't
mean the custodial closet.
They go to what we have now at BRS
called the closet, which is a great
effort. People are donating gently used
clothing or brand new clothing they
never wore. We talked about how you
should clean your closet. And if there's
ever a time of year, it's this. I think
we're doing our Pesach workshop this
Sunday morning, where I will give my
usual diatribe polemic rhetoric about
how it's not spring cleaning, it's
Pesach cleaning. If you want to do
spring cleaning, that's just to make
tomorrow my or happy, it's not for
Hashem. Pesach cleaning, Pesach cleaning
is for Hashem, and they're very
different standards of halacha. But this
is the time of year that people go
through, and you can do one or two
things with it. You can just throw that
clothing away. It can still sit and
clutter your home, or you can give it to
our closet, which is then open for
people who come and shop and pay a
dollar, three dollars, five dollars.
Closet, I think, already only opened
twice and brought in maybe five, six,
seven thousand dollars.
It's bringing in money that's helping
other people. It's helping people clean,
and it's helping people go into Yom Tov
with gently or brand new clothing they
otherwise would not necessarily be able
to afford. What a beautiful win-win-win
mitzvah goreret mitzvah, goreret
mitzvah. Called the closet.
Similarly, on Wednesday mornings, you
can volunteer for Shefa. Shefa means an
abundance, a flow from Hashem. It's also
chef, ah, which is
extra food, food rescue. So many people
cater events, have events, have simchas
baruch Hashem, have things, and was at a
dinner of a school dinner last night.
There was so much food, I said, "I hope
you're calling Shefa." So much left. Do
you know how many people
hundreds, thousands of containers have
been filled with those food that have
fed hundreds of family all without
anyone spending any money cuz
it's held at BRS, there's no overhead
thanks to the generosity of this
community both these projects. But you
know what both of them rely on? The
reason they have no expenses
both of them rely on
volunteers.
Volunteers. The group of women, you have
it included who stay after every week on
Wednesday to go to the closet or also
help for Shifa. We'll tell you that they
walk away not feeling like I gave but I
got. It just added meaning to Wednesday
morning. Could you have a better
Wednesday morning? Make a cup of coffee
in the Shala's corner. Have a pastry or
slushy. Come to the Amuna shear. Nourish
your soul and then go volunteer and live
a mission and purpose for others. Your
Wednesday is made. What a morning. Wow.
What a morning. Unbelievable. But that
volunteering it'll it you don't say when
I volunteer for others now I feel worse.
Nobody ever said that. Ever. Ever.
Makes a person feel awake, alive, feel
good, feel they're giving, feel they're
living a mission, a purpose and for
others. And Hashem is looking. So says
Rav David Khazera, when we're going and
turning to daven then ask ourselves as
we're saying those words. Again, part of
the agenda we put out a real the other
day about
cuz we said it here. Look at your
calendar. If you don't think you have
anything to daven for then look at your
calendar. What you have on tap that day
will dictate determine how you're going
to daven, how you're going to daven. But
the other thing to look at in ourselves
when we daven is why am I asking for
this?
Whatever I'm asking for, why am I asking
for it? And if I can couch it and
deliver it
if I can communicate as a dash sham I'm
davening because I want to be your brand
ambassador. I'm your agent. I'm here to
serve you. And I want to get in order to
be the best one to serve you then I need
your help. I need your help. I need your
help. So this is our mission and
purpose. You can volunteer now. If you
can't make it this week or you can find
another way or reason to volunteer, you
can do it elsewhere. 100% I am
personally guaranteeing you that you
will feel you got a lot more than you
gave. You will You will feel alive if
you live for a kiss not for ego. And
then you bring that same attitude and
feeling into your davening. Shh.
Your davening is going to be all
together different and you're going to
want to daven and look forward to it
much much more. May we hear all the good
news, peace and tranquility
for our people.