Squid Game is backāand this time, the knives are out. In the thrilling Season 3 premiere, Player 456 is spiraling and a brutal round of hide-and-seek forces players to kill or be killed. Hosts Phil Yu and Kiera Please break down Gi-hunās descent into vengeance, Guard 011ās daring betrayal of the Game, and the shocking moment players are forced to choose between murdering their friends⦠or dying. Then, Carlos Juico and Gavin Ruta from the Jumpers Jump podcast join us to unpack their wild theories for the season. Plus, Phil and Kiera face off in a high-stakes round of āHot Sweet Potato.ā SPOILER ALERT! Make sure you watch Squid Game Season 3 Episode 1 before listening on. Play one last time. IG - @SquidGameNetflix X (f.k.a. Twitter) - @SquidGame Check out more from Phil Yu @angryasianman , Kiera Please @kieraplease and the Jumpers Jump podcast Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts . Squid Game: The Official Podcast is produced by Netflix and The Mash-Up Americans.ā¦
Our main purpose in this world is to be true servants of Hashem. We are here to continuously grow in our observance of Torah and mitzvot. Every step we take in that direction is incredibly valuable. Some steps may be easier than others, and some may feel like mountainsābut we are never alone. Hashem is always with us, waiting to help us succeed. Hashem loves when we turn to Him and ask for help in serving Him better. He often responds in ways that clearly show He is listening and appreciating our efforts. Sometimes He even orchestrates events so that the answer comes quickly and inspires not only the person who asked, but many others who hear the story afterward. A man shared that he was listening to a shiur in which the rabbi told a story about a woman who accepted upon herself to cut her wig shorter to be more modest. As he listened, he quietly said to Hashem, "I wish my wife would cut her wig, too." Literally within a minute, his wife called him out of the blue and said she felt she wanted to cut her wig shorter. He was stunned by the immediate siyata dishmayaāHashem had heard his simple request and responded right away. During the recent war in Eretz Yisrael, a woman wanted to take on a kabbalah to share in the suffering of her fellow Jews. She decided she would sleep with only one pillow instead of two. But she felt she needed some chizuk to carry it out. She called a chizuk hotline, and the class she randomly selected spoke about how during World War I, the Chafetz Chaim slept on a hard bench and used his hands as a pillow to empathize with fellow Jews in pain. She couldn't believe itāHashem had guided her to exactly the message she needed in that moment. A man told of his son, who learns in a top yeshivah in Eretz Yisrael. The son had returned home briefly for a family wedding, but when war broke out, his flight back was canceled. Once flights resumed, the travel agent said it would take at least a weekāpossibly longerāto find him a ticket. A few minutes later, a friend called and mentioned that he was at the kever of the Ribnitzer Rebbe. The man asked his friend to also visit the kever of his own rabbi, Rabbi Yehudah Davis, who was buried nearby, and ask him to pray that his son would return quickly to his learning. The friend agreed. Amazingly, just ten minutes after the tefillah, the travel agent called back and said he had suddenly secured a flight for the boyāleaving in just two days. Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Friedman shared another remarkable story in his popular Gilyon Noam Siach . He had decided to dedicate a special issue of the publication to the teachings and stories of the Kossover rebbe who had passed away last year. Unbeknownst to him, a young man had just entered the stage of shidduchim and felt lost without the guidance of that very rebbeāsomeone he had turned to his whole life. At this crucial juncture, he went to the rebbe's kever and prayed for direction. A few days later, someone handed him the new issue of Noam Siach , which "happened' to include a section of the rebbe's teachings specifically about shidduchim . It was exactly what he needed. Hashem had answered him so directly and clearly, it filled him with joy and gratitude. Hashem loves when we grow in Torah and mitzvotāand He especially loves when we turn to Him for help in doing so. He answers, encourages, and uplifts those who sincerely strive to get closer to Him. May we all continue to grow and fulfill our true potential. Amen.ā¦
It is so calming to know how involved Hashem is in every detail of our lives. He cares deeply about everything we do, and He is constantly with us, guiding us every step of the way. A woman shared that she had just moved into a new home and needed to buy curtains. One night, she planned to browse online, and in her excitement, she hurried through cleaning up dinnerābut forgot to say borei nefashot . She sat down with her husband, opened their laptop, and began typing the word "curtains." After typing the first four lettersāC-U-R-Tāshe looked at the screen and froze. The language bar was still set to Hebrew from when her husband had last used it. On a Hebrew keyboard, typing those four letters spells out: ×××Ø× ( boreh ). At that moment, she remembered she had forgotten to say borei nefashot . She said she usually typed without looking at the keyboard, and had she done so now, she would have realized on the first letter that the keyboard was in Hebrew. But this time, Hashem made her look downājust so she would type the word boreh and be reminded of the berachah she had missed. Another story was shared by a man who was looking for a good chavruta to learn with his son at night. He mentioned it to his wife, and she suggested a specific nephew who would be perfect. The problem was that his son was in high school, while the nephew was already learning full-time in a beit midrash with a chavruta his own age. It seemed unlikely that he would want to learn with a high school student. Still, the man had hope. At 11 o'clock that nightāperhaps too late to callāhe decided to send a text asking if it was a good time. The nephew replied that he was still in yeshiva talking to his chavruta, and that he would call shortly. When he called, the uncle asked if he'd consider learning with his son. The nephew's response left him speechless: "That's exactly what I was just talking about with my chavruta," he said. "I've been thinking I want to start learning at night with a high school boy." Amazing! Hashem had planted the idea in the nephew's mind just before his uncle reached out. Hashem knows the future and arranges everything in advance to help us. A woman who works in an office building said that one morning, her regular parking spot was taken, so she had to park somewhere else. That day, she especially needed to leave quickly after work. When she returned to the lot, she saw three Hatzalah vehicles completely blocking her usual spot. But the place where she had parked was totally clear. She immediately thanked Hashem for arranging in advance that she wouldn't be blocked when time was so tight. Another woman recalled something that happened 15 years ago. She had read an article about children who suddenly developed extreme OCD-like behaviors or severe emotional swings. The article explained that these behaviors could often be traced to untreated strep or Lyme diseaseāand once treated, the children returned to normal. For some reason, she was drawn to the article and even clipped it out, along with letters from parents describing what their children went through. Thirteen years later, her own child suddenly changed. Her behavior became extremely negative. Therapy didn't help, and she couldn't attend school. No one could figure out what was wrong. Every day, this mother prayed to Hashem to open her eyes and show her the solution. Then one day, she suddenly remembered that article. She found it, reread it, and had her daughter tested for strep and Lyme. Baruch Hashem , they found the cause. With proper treatment, her daughter returned to her normal self within weeks. She thanks Hashem for planting the interest in that article so many years earlier. It turned out to be the key that helped save her daughter. Hashem is with us every second of the dayāguiding us, helping us, preparing everything in advance. We need to recognize His hand in our lives and constantly thank Him.ā¦
Every single good deedāand even a good thoughtāin Avodat Hashem is incredibly precious. When a person sees in the future the immense reward given for even the smallest intention, he will wish he had done more. Sometimes, even one thought of teshuvah can change everything. In this week's parashah, we read about the earth opening up and swallowing all those who joined in Korach's rebellion. Yet the Torah tells us that the sons of Korach did not die. Chazal explain that at the very last second, just before they were swallowed, they had a thought of teshuvahāand that alone saved them. The Midrash emphasizes that they didn't even have enough time to speak a word of repentance. Hashem accepted their teshuvah based solely on a thought. In last week's parashah, we learned that Kalev was promised he would enter the Land and that his children would receive an inheritance there. Rav Moshe Feinstein, in Darash Moshe , asks what Kalev did to earn such a great reward. He answers that when Kalev spoke up against the spies and expressed Emunah that Hashem could bring them into the land, for a brief moment the Jewish people believed him. Although they quickly reverted to fear and doubt, that fleeting moment of emunah was considered a moment of teshuvah. It was so precious that it brought great meritānot just to the peopleābut to Kalev himself as their source of inspiration. We should never underestimate anything we do in our service of Hashem. It is never "all or nothing." Every small act counts. A man shared that he had been walking with his friend Chaim, when Chaim's phone rang with a reminder that his hour of shemirat halashon was about to begin. The man found it oddāwhy keep it for only one hour if we are obligated to guard our speech all the time? Chaim explained that of course we try to keep these halachot at all times, but even setting aside one hour of extra vigilance is extremely valuable. It's a way to strengthen ourselves and build up consistency. Every extra moment of self-control is meaningful. Chaim then told a story he knew firsthand. His parents' neighbor, Nitzan, once called him asking for guidance on how to become fully observant. Until then, Nitzan had not kept mitzvot but said that something happened that completely changed his outlook. A few months prior, he had decided to keep a small part of Shabbatāfrom midnight on Friday night until 10 a.m. Shabbat morning. People laughed at him when they heard this, thinking it strange and inconsistent, but he felt it was a meaningful step he could take. He kept his commitment seriously. On one Friday night, he was out driving with friends and saw that it was 11:30 p.m. He told them firmly that no matter where they were, he would be getting out of the car at 11:50. His friends tried to persuade him to stay with them until around 12:15, but he wouldn't budge. At 11:50, he stepped out of the car and turned off his phone. He was far from home, so he slept on a bench and planned to take a taxi at 10 a.m. when his personal observance of Shabbat would end. When he got home the next morning, his parents were overwhelmed with joy and tears. They had just heard that the car he had been in the night before was in a devastating accident. Everyone in the car had died. They thought he had been with them. He told them that it was his decision to keep even a small part of Shabbat that had saved his life. That moment became a turning point for Nitzan. He decided from then on that he wanted to become fully observant. Every little act in Avodat Hashem matters. Even a moment of restraint, a fleeting thought of teshuvah, or a limited commitment can be the key to transformationāor even salvation. We can never underestimate the power and value of the smallest efforts or intentions. Shabbat Shalomā¦
There is nothing too big to ask Hashem for, and there is nothing too small to ask Him for. Sometimes a person may feel that what he wants is too insignificant to "bother" Hashem aboutābut in truth, the opposite is true. When we turn to Hashem for even the smallest things, we demonstrate our belief that He is involved in every single detail of our lives. A woman shared that late one night, someone knocked on her door asking for tzedakah. She looked in her wallet and saw she barely had any cash, but she gave the man ten shekels. The next day, she went to the grocery store and bought many items. Without a car, she wondered how she would possibly carry everything home. She realized she didn't have enough cash left for a taxi. If she still had the ten shekels from the night before, it would have been enoughābut she refused to regret doing a mitzvah. Instead, she turned to Hashem and asked for help. While she was paying, the customer ahead of her realized he had forgotten to pay for a melon. He asked her to add it to her credit card and offered to reimburse her in cash. She agreed. The cashier weighed the melonāit cost exactly ten shekels, the precise amount she needed for a taxi. A small request, a small solution, but a powerful reminder that Hashem listens. Another young woman recalled that when she was fifteen, she started listening to emunah classes and began involving Hashem in her daily life. Once, she and a friend wanted to put personalized photos on beach towels. They designed them, but the towels were too expensive. With the emunah they had built, they decided to pray to Hashem to lower the price by 50%. The next day, the price hadn't changed. They still really wanted the towels and didn't have much time before camp, so they ordered them anyway, continuing to pray for a price reduction. When the towels arrived, the company said there had been a slight error, and if they weren't satisfied, they could get replacements. A very small part of one picture had been cut off. The girls explained they wouldn't receive replacements in time and asked for a discount instead. The company responded by giving them a full refund. Just like that, their tefillah had been answeredāthey received the towels for free. Another story was told by a man named David. One evening, he stopped at a convenience store and saw a small display of toys. He decided to pick something up for his four-year-old sonāsomething he had never done beforeāand chose a small toy police car. When he arrived home, his son was already asleep. He handed the car to his wife, telling her it was for their son. She was visibly shocked. She explained that earlier that day, their son had asked her about praying to Hashem. She told him that he could pray for whatever he wanted. He then said, "Hashem, could you please give me a toy car?" And now, his father came home with one that very night. The next day, when the boy received the car, he wasn't even surprised. His mother had told him Hashem listens, so he prayedāand Hashem answered. That was enough for him. We should all strive to have the emunah of a child: simple, pure, and full of trust. Hashem wants to hear our voices. He cherishes our prayersāwhether they're for "big things" or the smallest everyday needs. Nothing is too small to ask for.ā¦
The Gemara in Masechet Avodah Zarah tells a remarkable story about Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi, who was afflicted with severe intestinal pain. As a remedy, he required a particular apple cider that was produced only by idolaters. To ensure its kashrutāthat it contained no wineāit needed to have been stored for seventy years. Naturally, Rabbi Yehuda was not in a position to wait that long. His attendants searched until they discovered a man who had an entire storeroom filled with seventy-year-old bottles of this cider. Rabbi Yehuda drank the cider and was cured. In response, he proclaimed: "Baruch HaMakom SheMasar Olamo LeShomrim" āBlessed is Hashem who entrusts His world to guardians. He praised Hashem for planting the idea in someone's mind to store that cider decades earlier, so that it would be ready at just the right moment. This story has a striking parallel in modern times. Recently, the American Air Force deployed fourteen bunker-buster bombs to destroy Iranian nuclear facilities that posed a threat to Israel. These were said to be the only bombs in the world that could penetrate the depths necessary to destroy the underground nuclear facility. These highly specialized bombs had never before been used in warfare. Developed about fifteen years ago, each bomb costs millions of dollars, and the aircraft capable of delivering them costs over $2 billion. These powerful weapons, designed and built long ago, had been waiting for the exact moment they would be used to protect Am Yisrael. Baruch HaMakom SheMasar Olamo LeShomrim. In the past week alone, we have witnessed numerous miraclesāclear signs of Hashem's hand in our lives. A missile struck Soroka Hospital in Be'er Sheva, hitting the exact location of the internal medicine department. Yet miraculously, just the day before, the staff had worked with incredible urgency to evacuate all patients to an underground facility that had never before been used as a regular hospital unit. Only after everyone was safely relocated did the missile hit. What caused that sudden urgency? It was Hashem guiding their hearts. In Haifa, a Belzer family lived in an old building with no safe rooms and no bomb shelter. Sirens didn't sound in their area, but when they received a phone warning, they ran to the dining room and huddled under their table. Minutes later, their apartment took a direct hit. Half of it collapsedābut every family member, including small children, was rescued without a scratch. So many other miracles continue to emerge. Over 1,000 drones and more than 400 ballistic missiles were launched at Israel, and yet we were protected time and again. So many potential escalations could have taken placeāRussia could have gotten involved, but Hashem kept them occupied with another war. China could have entered the conflict, but Hashem held them back. Baruch HaShem , the war has ended. May we always be zocher to recognize the loving hand of Hashem shielding His people from harm and orchestrating every detail of salvationāeven decades in advance.ā¦
In Parashat Beha'alotckha, the Torah devotes many pesukim to describing how the Jewish people followed Hashem's command throughout their travels in the desert. Again and again, the pesukim emphasize that they journeyed "al pi Hashem" and encamped "al pi Hashem" āby the word of Hashem. The Seforno explains that these pesukim are praising Bnei Yisrael in many ways for their remarkable emunah and trust. First, they were willing to encamp wherever the cloud of Hashem rested, even in barren, desolate places. They remained there as long as the cloud stayed, without moving to more comfortable or fertile areas. Second, at times they were camped in ideal locationsābeautiful, spacious places that were perfect for them and their cattleābut when the cloud lifted shortly after, they packed up and left without hesitation. Third, there were times the cloud rested for just one night. They had barely unpacked, perhaps hadn't even set up their belongings completely, when morning came and the cloud signaled it was time to move again. Yet they followed it with full emunah , never questioning, never resisting. For forty years, they followed the cloud of Hashem without complaint. This unwavering loyalty is one explanation of what Hashem refers to in the pasuk: " ×××Ø×Ŗ× ×× ××”× × ×¢×ר×××... ×××Ŗ× ×××Ø× ××××ר " "I remember the kindness of your youth... your following Me into the desert" (Yirmiyahu 2:2). Hashem will always remember this faithfulness. The Ramban emphasizes how extraordinary this Emunah was. Imagine large families with small children, elderly grandparents, and all their belongings. After finally settling into their tents, they are told the next day it's time to move again. Or worse, remaining in an uncomfortable place for weeks, months, even yearsāall without questioning Hashem's plan. This was an act of great avodat Hashem , of complete submission and trust in Him. Today, many people are experiencing a modern version of this test. Due to the war, countless individuals are unable to fly or reach their desired destinations. Plans have been canceled, semachot delayed, families separated. Some have tried to leave or return to Israel and have encountered roadblocks, flight cancellations, or border issues. Others have driven for hours through neighboring countries only to be turned back. Some are missing, or will miss, close relatives' weddings. Both those making the weddings and those missing them now have a profound opportunity: to demonstrate unwavering emunah in Hashem's perfect plan. Every person is exactly where Hashem wants them to be. No one is "stuck." We are all placed . A person will board a flight the exact moment Hashem decides it is right. Of course, we make hishtadlut āwe try. But the outcome is in Hashem's hands alone. And if a person can rise above the frustration and say with full heart, "I trust that I am exactly where Hashem wants me to be, and I accept this with love," āthen he will soar to spiritual heights beyond what he could ever reach by getting on any plane. May Hashem give us all the strength to trust in Him completely, and may we merit to see true peace and tranquility-Amenā¦
On our quest to acquire perfect emunah and think correctly, we want to purify our minds with the right hashkafa according to the Torah. The pasuk in parashat Ekev warns, if a person becomes well-to-do, he will forget about Hashem, saying, it is my might and strength that made me this wealth. The Saba from Kelm points out, the Torah does not say, maybe he will say this, because the nature of a person is to automatically think that way. It is only with proper training that we can uproot this thought process. If we see a successful businessman, what are our thoughts about his wealth? Do we think about what appear to be the immediate causes that brought him his wealth, like the product he sells or the stocks he bought? Or do we think that Hashem wanted him to be wealthy and He gave him his wealth? If we see an army successful in battle, do we think about their great strategies and war tactics? Or do we attribute their success to HaKadosh Baruch Hu? This is one way in which we could test our level of emunah, seeing if our initial thoughts have adapted to the way that Hashem wants us to think. The Gemara says in Masechet Berachot that Rav Huna had four hundred barrels of wine that soured, and when the Rabbis heard about it, they immediately told him to check into his deeds. Rav Huna asked the Rabbis why they suspected him of doing something wrong, and they replied, because without a question it was Hashem who made the wine sour, and it was a kapara for something that the Rabbi did wrong. Rav Huna looked into his deeds and indeed discovered his error in a different business dealing, and right after he made teshuvah , the issue of the wine went away. The baalei mussar point out from here, usually the way it works is when someone experiences some type of misfortune like this, he thinks about all the different natural causes of why the wine may have spoiled, but Chazal are teaching us with their pure emunah that the natural causes don't matter. Everything that takes place is because of Hashem. If we fix what Hashem wants us to fix, then the issue goes away. The Apta Rav used to say, the way of the world is when someone makes a certain hishtadlut and it doesn't work out the way he hoped, he thinks, āIf only I would have done things differently, then I might have gotten what I wanted.ā If the person said something he wishes he didn't say, he would think, āIf only I would have said something else, then I would have gotten what I wanted.ā Both of those reactions are incorrect. The outcome that took place was exactly the outcome that Hashem wanted to take place. And if the outcome could have been different because of different words or a different hishtadlut , then Hashem would have put those thoughts in the person's brain at the time he was making the hishtadlut . It is extremely difficult for someone to put in a lot of effort into something and then believe that the result had nothing to do with his efforts. But this is the way Hashem wants us to think, because this is the absolute truth. This is the way He runs the world. Even if someone says, āI did it and Hashem helped me do it,ā that is tarnished emunah. ××× ×¢×× ××××× , there is nothing other than Hashem. He doesn't need our help. He wants us to put in our efforts for various reasons. One of them is to test us in this very area, to see if we'll believe it was Him, even though we had to put in the effort. The more we train ourselves to think this way, the better we'll get at it. And bāezrat Hashem, we will train ourselves to the point where our initial thoughts are with pure emunah.ā¦
The pasuk in this week's parashah, Beha'alotekha , says: ×¢Ö·×Ö¾×¤Ö“Ö¼× ×' ×Ö·×Ö²× ×Ö¼ ×Ö°×¢Ö·×Ö¾×¤Ö“Ö¼× ×' ×Ö“×”ÖøÖ¼×¢×Ö¼ "The Jewish people encamped by the word of Hashem and traveled by the word of Hashem." The Torah is teaching us that even the simplest actions ā like stopping and starting ā were done only in accordance with Hashem's will. This is a lesson we must constantly remind ourselves. A person may make what seems to be the most logical, responsible decision, only to see things turn out entirely differently than expected. At times, our efforts lead us to dead ends. Other times, what initially appears to be a setback turns out to be the best possible direction. Life is full of twists and turns ā challenges that shake our peace of mind, periods of hard work with little visible result, and moments of great success that come with almost no effort. But the common denominator in every situation is that it is all directed by the same loving and all-knowing Hashem. He is always leading each person on the path that is uniquely best for them. Sometimes, we feel like Hashem is making things unnecessarily hard. We pray for something simple ā and don't even receive that. We wonder, "Is that too much to ask?" If we could internalize that even those denials come from Hashem's love, we would experience a deep peace of mind. We would soar to great spiritual heights with the precious gift of emunah ā trusting in Hashem's plan. One woman shared a story that strengthened her emunah in a very deep way. She always loved roses. When she and her family bought their first home, she was thrilled to find a beautiful rose bush growing along the side of the house. A few years later, her son was diagnosed with a serious illness that had no known cure. She herself was also ill, in pain, and going through many other difficulties. One particularly difficult day, she stepped outside for fresh air and looked at her beloved rose bush. She noticed two weeds growing on either side of it. She tried to pull them out, but they were too deep. Her son tried too, but the roots were so strong that the entire ground around the bush started to come up. They stopped, but it was too late. The rose bush had been uprooted, and it seemed certain it would die. The woman turned her eyes upward and said, "Hashem, I understand that You know what's best. I accept the suffering and the pain. But why can't I at least have the roses that I love? Is that too much to ask for?" Years passed. The weeds she had tried to remove grew into a tall tree that eventually reached the second floor of their home. At one point, her son was prescribed an experimental medication that caused severe side effects. Just minutes after taking it, he ran wildly across the room and ended up dangling out the second-floor window by his ankles. She pulled him back in and shut the window, but he quickly ran into his sister's room and locked the door. Moments later, she heard her daughter scream, "Ma! He just fell out the window!" Terrified, she raced outside. To her astonishment, she saw her son standing there ā alive, with only a small scratch. What had happened? He had grabbed onto that very weed that had once replaced her roses. Because it was still young and flexible, it bent under his weight, lowering him gently to the ground before bouncing back upright. In the moment, she had cried to Hashem for taking away her rose bush. But little did she know that He was already planting her salvation years in advance. Today, whenever she finds herself questioning why things aren't going her way, she thinks of those weeds ā and remembers that Hashem is in control, always doing what is best.ā¦
We have learned time and time again that everything that happens in our lives comes directly from Hashem. There is no such thing as an accident or a coincidence. Everything is carefully planned and orchestrated exactly as it is meant to be. We have also been taught repeatedly that whatever Hashem does is the best thing for us. If we truly internalize these two principlesāthat Hashem controls everything, and that everything He does is for our goodāwe would be able to live with constant happiness, regardless of our circumstances. We've studied how the great Rabbis in Jewish history responded to their trials with unwavering emunah. They faced unimaginable challenges and still clung to their faith with strength and clarity. Although we recognize this as the ideal way to respond, we often find it incredibly difficult to emulate. When something painful or disappointing happens, our initial reaction may be one of sadness or frustration. We try to strengthen our emunah, and eventually we may begin to accept the situation. With further effort, we might even reach a level of accepting it with love and joy. But often we wonder: if we failed in the beginning and only came around much later, does it still matter? Is the struggle worth anything if we keep falling and responding the wrong way? I once heard a story that Rabbi Ephraim Wachsman shared in the name of Rabbi Shlomo Miller that offers powerful chizuk and perspective. The story took place in Yerushalayim after World War I, a time of severe starvation. In the Etz Chaim cheder, a rebbi wanted to bring a bit of joy to his students. On Rosh Chodesh, he went out of his way to get a cake and gave each student a slice to celebrate the day. The children, who were starving, were overjoyed. One boy, however, didn't eat his portion. Instead, he carefully wrapped it in a napkin. He loved his father dearly and knew how hungry he must be, so he decided to give the cake to him as a gift. But when recess came, he stared at the cake and couldn't control himself. He took one bite. Ashamed, he quickly wrapped it back up. Later, around lunchtime, the temptation overwhelmed him againāand he took a second bite. That day, the children were dismissed early. The boy ran home, cake in hand. He entered the house and said, "Daddy, Daddy, I brought you a present for Rosh Chodesh!" and handed his father the napkin-wrapped cake. But as he handed it over, he looked down in shame, realizing his father would see the bite marks. His father opened the napkin, saw the partially eaten cake, and looked at his son's face. Then he said: "My precious child, I see from these two bites just how hard it was for you to give me this gift. You struggled, yet you still gave it to me. That shows how much you truly love me. The bite marks are part of the beauty of the gift." The same can be said of our spiritual struggles. When a person wrestles with his challenges and still manages, eventually, to do what Hashem wantsāeven after failing along the wayāit shows deep love for Hashem. The effort, the perseverance, the refusal to give up, all elevate the mitzvah and make it even more meaningful. Even if someone doesn't respond right away with complete emunah, the ongoing work to reach that place is a beautiful and treasured avodah. Hashem values that journey immensely. He is proud of the person who keeps trying, who keeps pushing, who keeps believing. We must never underestimate the value of any step forward in emunah. Every level we reach, no matter how delayed or difficult, is infinitely precious in Hashem's eyes.ā¦
The struggles we face in trying to keep the Torah and mitzvot are incredibly precious to Hashem. In fact, they are the very reason we were placed in this world. When we have to struggle to do what's right, the mitzvah we perform becomes infinitely more meaningful. At times, we might wonder, "Doesn't Hashem want me to do this? So why is it so hard?" The answer is that of courseHashem wants us to do His will, and He often makes it challenging so that we can earn even greater reward through our effort. These difficulties are not obstacles; they are expressions of Hashem's love. When we view our tests this way, it becomes easier to rise above them. One woman, who had grown tremendously along with her husband and children, was preparing for her firstborn son's bar mitzvah. The family she is raising looks very different from the families she and her husband came from. She always tries to please everyone, so the pressure of making the event work for all sides weighed heavily on her. She prayed to Hashem to give her the strength to do what she knew was right ā and to do it with joy. That morning, her young daughter had a school play. Her role was to be a bat kol , a heavenly voice, and she repeated the same phrase over and over: Stay strong. It's just a test. Do what's right. Hashem will be proud of you. Sitting in the audience, the woman was moved to tears. Those words felt like they were coming directly from Hashem. They gave her the strength and clarity she needed, and that night she celebrated the bar mitzvah in the way she believed would truly make Hashem proud. When a person sacrifices so much to fulfill a mitzvah, then when something unpredictable happens, Hashem often sends hidden help to ensure they succeed. A rabbi in Israel gives a daily Daf Yomi class with nearly 30 participants. He is extremely careful never to miss a session ā they learn even during the most challenging times of the year. When he travels, he always arranges a substitute well in advance. Recently, on Shabbat Parashiyot Tazria/Metzora, he had to be out of town for a simchah and arranged a replacement. On Sunday morning, he asked the substitute how the class went. The man admitted ā to the rabbi's shock ā that he had prepared but completely forgot to show up. Worried, the rabbi asked one of the regular participants what happened. The man said they waited a long time for the replacement, and then a rabbi who teaches alef-bet in the local yeshiva walked in. They joked, "Here's the rabbi who'll give today's daf!" The alef-bet teacher asked which daf they were up to, and they told him: the first page of Masechet Shevuot. He sat down and proceeded to teach the entire daf ā completely by heart. The group was astonished. The teacher explained that this was the only daf in all of Shas he had memorized ā he had reviewed it 30 times. Out of more than 2,700 pages, this was the only one he could have taught without preparation. The Rabbi who leads this daff shiur is so careful to never miss. When an unexpected obstacle arose Hashem gave heavenly assistance. He prepared the perfect substitute in advance, ensuring the shiur would not be missed. Another woman had taken on the commitment of reciting Nishmat for 40 days, always at the same time so she wouldn't forget. One day, she had time off and went on a family trip. Before leaving, she grabbed a siddur ā just in case someone might need it to say Birkat Hamazon . Later, when her alarm reminded her to say Nishmat , she panicked ā she didn't have the specific booklet she usually used to say Nishmat with. Then she remembered: she had brought the siddur. It became clear that Hashem had orchestrated her grabbing that siddur so she wouldn't miss a day of her commitment. The challenges we face in doing mitzvot are meant to elevate us. And sometimes, when the situation is beyond our control, Hashem sends His help ā if we've done our best to uphold our part. When we show dedication and care, Hashem responds in kind, guiding and supporting us in ways we might never expect.ā¦
At the end of this week's Parashat Naso , the Torah goes into great detail describing the donations brought by the Nesi'im to inaugurate the Mishkan. Remarkably, each Nasi brought the exact same offering, yet the Torah repeats the full list of items again and againāspanning about 56 pesukim . Why such repetition? The Torah is teaching us a profound lesson: Hashem treasures the efforts of every individual . Even when people perform a mitzvah as part of a group, Hashem values the actions of each person separately. In a shul, there might be hundreds of people reciting the same words, but to Hashem, every word uttered by each person is uniquely precious. There is no such thing as Hashem getting "bored" of repetition. He cherishes everything we say and everything we doāevery tefillah, every act of kindness, every mitzvah. The same applies when we experience His presence in our lives. Even when similar moments of hashgachah peratit repeat, each one feels new and meaningful. We're often moved by others' stories of hashgachah , and they awaken in us a desire to see Hashem's hand in our own lives too. Sometimes, we think: Those stories are inspiring, but they never happen to me. Yet we are encouraged to always hope and pray that they do. About a month ago, a story circulated about a chatan who wished to feel his late father's presence at his wedding. Miraculously, around that time, someone from Israel arrived in New York with a letter that the chatan's father had written decades earlier. Through an incredible sequence of events, the letter ended up in the hands of this chatan ādated with the exact date of his wedding. The letter, addressed to a chatan on his wedding day, was written by his father years earlier on that very same Hebrew date. The message felt as though it had come directly from his father, offering blessings from shamayim . This story was shared at a siyyum on Masechet Bava Metzia . In the crowd sat a man named *Yaakov. Hearing the story, he silently wished that he too could receive something from his late father, who had passed away over 20 years ago. The very next day, as Yaakov opened his mail, he noticed an envelope that looked like another routine request. But inside, to his astonishment, was a handwritten letterāwritten by his father 50 years earlier to a close friend. That friend had just discovered the letter while cleaning for Pesach and thought it would be meaningful to send it to the son of his old friend. Yaakov was overwhelmed. He couldn't stop reading the letter. As he reached the bottom, he noticed a few words written in the opposite directionāa postscript from his father asking his friend where he was up to in Masechet Bava Metzia . Yaakov was stunned. He had just returned from a siyyum on Bava Metzia , where he had wished for a message from his father. Still in disbelief, Yaakov went to his sefarim shelf and opened his Gemara Bava Metzia . Inside was a sticky note marking that he still had to complete pages 50 through 54. It was as if his father was reminding him: Your siyyum isn't complete yetāfinish it properly. In that moment, he felt a powerful connection, a personal hashgachah that touched his soul. Yes, the stories we hear really can happen to us. Hashem treasures everything we do, and we are uplifted when we recognize His presence in our lives. May we always feel close to Hashem. May we always sense His guidance. And may we continue to be inspired by the miraclesābig and smallāthat surround us every day. Shabbat Shalom.ā¦
I once spoke to a person who considered himself an older single. He was completely consumed with the fact that he was still not married. He did not want to hear anything other than advice or a segula on how he could get married. He said he was unable to concentrate on anything else in life and resolved to basically be completely unproductive until he gets married. It wasn't something he was happy about, but he said he just wasn't able to focus on anything else. I told him life is so much bigger than just getting what we want. It is true that marriage is a mitzvah and will help a person with his avodat Hashem, but if he is doing his part in trying to get married, but it is just not working out, that means for the time being, it's Hashem will for him to serve Him without being married. If he thinks he can't function without being married, he'll be missing out on a major part of his purpose in this world. His job now is to do everything in his power to live the way a Jewish man is supposed to live. The value of a person's avodah when it is hard is infinitely greater than when it is easy. Of course it is hard to want to do anything else when our will is not being fulfilled, but precisely because it is so hard, that is where all the glory lies. When a person perseveres under duress, he will see that that time in his life made him into the person he was meant to become. I once read a mashal of a dove that was born without wings. The dove was in a depressed state because all of its relatives and friends were able to fly wherever they wanted while it was stuck in its place. It was even hard for this dove just to walk. Its friends and family would go out flying all day long, seeing the most beautiful sights, and at evening time, when they would return, they would talk about all the beautiful places they saw that day. This poor dove without wings would just sit there and cry, feeling bad that it wasn't able to experience the same pleasures that everyone else was. One day, this dove couldn't take it anymore and cried out to Hashem from the bottom of its heart, begging Him to give it wings. And sure enough, the next morning, when the dove woke up, there were two big wings that grew on either side of it. But this bird was not accustomed to flying and it didn't know that what appeared to be large obstacles on its sides were really the wings it was hoping for. So, as always, it began to walk, but now walking was so much harder with those heavy burdens on its sides. When it felt it couldn't continue on, the dove looked up towards Shamayim and said, "My loving Father in Heaven, is it not bad enough that I am unable to fly like everybody else, but now I also have to have trouble walking with these heavy burdens at my sides?" A Heavenly voice then called out, "My precious little bird, I did not give you any burdens. I gave you the wings that you have been yearning for. Start flapping them and you will soar to the greatest heights." That is the mashal . The nimshal is, sometimes people feel that the life they were given is a huge burden that is weighing them down. All they want to do is complain and have things change. But if they would be able to hear a Heavenly voice, the voice would say, "What you have is not a burden. That's what you need to be able to soar. Flap your wings, produce in the circumstances that you are put in and that will prove to be your greatness." We hope that everybody will eventually get what they are yearning for, but in the meantime, we must not blow the opportunity to become great in the circumstances we currently find ourselves in.ā¦
The Mishnah in Pirkei Avot teaches us how deeply beloved we are to Hashem ā not only did He give us His precious Torah, but He also expressed His immense love by telling us just how valuable that gift is. Shavuot is a time to appreciate the Torah as our guiding light and to reflect on the responsibility that comes with such a gift. The pasuk in Tehillim states: " ××Ö¹× ×Ö“× ×Ŗ×ֹרַת פּ֓××Öø ×Öµ×Ö·×Ö°×¤Öµ× ×Öø×Öø× ×Öø×Öø×”Ö¶×£ " ā "The Torah of Your mouth is better for me than thousands of gold and silver pieces" (Tehillim 119:72). The mefarshim are puzzled: how can something eternal like the Torah be compared to something as finite and physical as gold and silver? One explanation is that, as physical beings, we naturally place high value on material wealth. The pasuk is providing a relatable point of comparison. To us, there is no greater earthly treasure than vast amounts of gold and silver ā and yet, the Torah tells us its value pales in comparison to the Torah's worth. Hashem instilled within us an affinity for wealth specifically so we could begin to grasp, on our own terms, just a fraction of the Torah's true value. Yet, there lies a danger. Sometimes we become so enamored by the mashal that we lose sight of the nimshal ā the deeper truth it's meant to teach. The Magen David explains this with a parable: A king wanted his subjects to appreciate his glory, so he adorned his officers in every province with the finest clothing, using wealth from the royal treasury. He hoped people would say, "If the officers are dressed like this, how much greater must the king be!" But instead, people fixated on the officers and forgot the king entirely. This is what happens when we glorify physical wealth and forget that it's merely a tool to help us appreciate the infinitely greater glory of Torah. Another pitfall comes when people view mitzvot as mere tools to achieve physical rewards. For example, someone may take on a 40-day acceptance to refrain from lashon hara in hopes of achieving a personal salvation. In such cases, the mitzvah becomes a means to an end ā the salvation is the focus, not the growth. But this perspective is flawed. Physical rewards are minor side effects of the real reward ā the mitzvah itself. No worldly pleasure could ever equal the spiritual elevation one receives from performing even the smallest mitzvah. If someone doesn't receive the outcome they were hoping for, they should still rejoice in the merit of having fulfilled a mitzvah. And if the desired outcome is granted, it should not diminish the value of the mitzvah, nor should one think it was only worthwhile because it "worked." The mitzvah brings a person closer to Hashem, elevates the neshama , and yields eternal benefit. The Chatam Sofer writes, to truly benefit from a mitzvah, one must first value it. Chazal tell us that tzitzit protect a person from sin ā yet some wonder why they don't feel that protection. One reason might be a lack of appreciation for the mitzvah itself. If we don't value our mitzvot, we don't engage with them fully ā and we miss out on their spiritual power. The same is true for all mitzvot. If a teacher of Torah to children understood that the world stands in the merit of what he is doing, he would never interrupt his class to check a message. If he truly internalized what the Kav HaYashar teaches ā that 18,000 angels gather the words spoken by children learning Torah ā he would not trade his role for anything in the world. Every word of Torah we learn is more precious than any material success this world can offer. Let us take the time to appreciate what we are privileged to do each day and thank Hashem for the indescribable zechut of sharing in His most precious gift ā the Torah.ā¦
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