The Emuna 26

Emuna is the cure for dysfunction and the path to unity and tranquility. It transcends denominations. Emuna involves viewing Hashem, His Torah, and the land of Israel as One. Emuna is trusting Hashem over and above our so-called advisors. So, if you, the reader, have an open mind to the true meaning of life in this world, I invite you to please read on. Rav Arush and Rav Brody explain that a vital purpose of the extended exile is to learn to live emuna. Anti-Semitism is the tool Hashem uses to prod us to unify by way of emuna.

Emuna is synonymous with the first commandment—to know there is a G-d Who is the Supreme Ruler of the Universe. There is only Him (Ein Od Milvado). Thus, our job in this world is to not just believe in Hashem but to develop a personal relationship with Him so that we know Him as a G-d of Mercy. In review, the three principles of emuna are:

(1) Everything comes from Hashem;

(2) Hashem does everything for the very best; and

(3) Hashem does everything for a purpose.

Our test in this world is to choose to learn what Hashem loves and align our choices with His. Then our souls and our bodies operate in sync.

The intention of this article is to delineate what emuna is and what it is not:  The things we need to do and the things we must avoid doing in order to get closer to Hashem. Emuna requires that we take responsibility and relinquish “victim-hood” and self-pity. Emuna is a choice to partner with G-d, knowing that He does only good even if we do not understand. Ultimately, emuna must be learned in the mind, penetrate the heart, and then pervade our being as we simultaneously stop trying to control outcomes. When we rise above our skeptical nature, doubts, and logic to embrace the supra-rational, Hashem provides us evidence to believe and to trust in Him.

Affirmatives:  What We Need to Do to Serve Hashem

1. Communicate in our own words with G-d: Praise, request, and thank in that order. Speak to G-d as a child to his/her parent.  Prayer is the number one salvation. Learning the Art of Prayer (my first article) is essential.

2. Become spiritually aware:  Yehoshua Goldstein has a beautiful article on spiritual awareness that helps us see beneath many of the events in our lives to the message Hashem is communicating to us. This will help us internalize that life is not random, coincidental, or happenstance but rather perfectly orchestrated to lead us to our soul correction and to knowing what Hashem wants of us.

3. Love Your Fellow as Yourself by looking beyond his/her spiritual level (speech, appearance, and deed) to the soul rather than the garments of the soul because we are all in different places along our journey of refinement and awareness.

4. Forgive those who may have hurt us because Hashem forgives, and His justice is perfect.

5. Keep growing in mitzvah performance, knowing that the mitzvos unite the physical and the spiritual to bring positive energies into the world, as when we honor the Shabbat and our parents.

6. Do a daily accounting of the soul (cheshbon hanefesh)—of our thoughts, speech, and deeds— as we speak to the Creator so that our teshuva (return) is constant as we focus on patience, honesty, compassion, gratitude, humility, and trustworthiness.

7. Teach our children and others about Hashem, and make G-d proud by doing the things that He values—put people above things, be kind to our children, study Torah, give our children a proper Jewish education, learn with them, emphasize effort over achievement, and make Hashem welcome in our homes. Remember that we are His messengers and emissaries. Exhibit Jewish pride!

8. Listen with compassion and full attention more than you speak: G-d gave us two ears but only one mouth.

9. Judge others favorably, always giving the benefit of the doubt. Think good, and it will be good.

10. Speak with kindness, particularly when offering a suggestion because people care what you say only when they know you care.

11. Work on refining character traits: Our children do what they see us doing, not what we preach, especially in the area of modesty and humility. Hashem cherishes both. Emuna involves self-control and a willingness to delay gratification.

12. Strive to give more than receive, remembering that moderation is the key: Too much of a good thing is not a good thing. Kindness without discipline and vice versa can wreak havoc. Make charity a constant endeavor and provide value for others. Life is about contribution.

13. Be happy with your lot:  Happiness, positivism, and emuna are ways to serve Hashem and sanctify life. We live emuna through gratitude, by consistently thanking Hashem for the good and the seemingly not-so-good where the goodness is concealed.

Negatives:  Things to Stop Doing or Not to Do.

1. Refrain from blaming and complaining, because both are expressions of discontent with how Hashem runs the world, chas v’shalom (G-d forbid). This attitude runs counter to emuna.

2. Let’s not deny our own negative character traits (middos):  Instead recognize them and talk to Hashem. He will help us to work on our anger, frustration, sadness, entitlement, and arrogance, because they all negate emuna. Anger equates to idol worship. Consider reading my article “Neutralize It”.

3. Don’t speak negatively about others. Evil speech (lashon hara) hurts three people— the speaker, the listener, and the one spoken about. Avoid the thought of revenge.

4. Don’t chase honor:  Hashem and an arrogant spirit cannot reside together.

5. Don’t become despondent over failure. Failure and success are equally instructional. Never lose hope.

6. Stay far away from regret, because it causes the past to interfere with the present and the future.

7. Do not flaunt: The root of all negativity comes from the ego’s preoccupation with lusts and desires, which stem from immodest appearance and failure to guard our eyes.

8. Don’t make money both the means and the end because G-d decides every Rosh Hashana exactly how much we will earn for the year—no more, no less.

9. Remove objectionable reading material and pictures from the home because we want to keep our eyes and brains focused on what is good.

10. Modulate the time spent on passive entertainment, shopping for things, eating for eating’s sake, “hanging out”, over-working, and other false “idols”.

11. Be careful with excess because the more stuff we have the more dissatisfied we become with what we have.

12. Assimilation to the foreign or secular culture is not what Hashem wants; Those who live emuna know that this is what causes the escalation of anti-Semitism.

13. Don’t self-persecute or give into lusts—alcoholism, drugs, promiscuity, porn, emotional eating. Emuna therapy involves turning to the Creator, Who can help release the pain. Listening to the emuna CD’s in Hebrew or English is a must.

These twenty-six principles strengthen emuna, bringing us closer to the Creator and to our own personal redemption. Living emuna is the practical solution to living a life of peace, tranquility, meaning, and truth.