My Business is Emuna

Translated by Aaron Yoseph

Serving Hashem takes many forms. Emuna. Emuna is the truth, just that you don’t grasp it. You need to believe in it. Rebbe Nachman has mercy on us, and brings us to the one thing that can save us – Emuna. How we can truly get into the Torah? We’re counting the Omer now. We’re counting down to Kabbalat HaTorah – receiving the Torah, when Hashem said “Anochi”. What’s the meaning of Anochi? I’m here with you. But we don’t get it. Once we count the 50 days, we grasp it. We see that Hashem is with us and wants us – Ah! Now we receive the Torah and live.

Right after receiving the Torah, we had to return home to family life and to making a living – wives, children, bosses, employees, landlords, business partners, etc. When we face all this, it’s easy to forget all about Kabbalat HaTorah. We don’t understand how to keep the mitzvot, because we don’t understand Emuna. People tell great stories about Tsaddikim, but they don’t know how to connect the stories to their own lives. Hashem commanded Moshe Rabbeinu to open up our eyes to the Torah, so that we would fully understand. And this is what Rebbe Nachman does. Because otherwise, how could we understand what we need to, and live life as we should?

Everything is ready and perfect for Geula, just that there’s one thing missing – our Emuna in Hashem. If we had Emuna, we would ask Hashem for everything, we would trust in Him, and we would start anew every day. We hear a lot about Emuna, and we think, “Baruch Hashem, I believe in Hashem, I have Emuna. Everything’s okay.” Then the Rebbe comes along and tells us – the exile is all because of a lack of Emuna. When we had the Beit HaMikdash, we could bring a korban, a ritual sacrifice and fix things. Then we really had Emuna. The truth was in the open. We need to be ready – to get up before the morning starts and know – Today I’m going to have a set of tests in Emuna, and I’m ready for them. “Ribono Shel Olam, I know that whatever happens today, it’s all from You. Help me to live with Emuna. Help me remember that this is what I need to work on today, and that this is how I’ll correct my soul and fulfill my mission in this world.”

Emuna is the beginning of everything. A person asks questions – “Who says that Hashem really wants this…” and he starts off a snowball. “I see that things aren’t going well for me. It must be that Hashem doesn’t like me, etc…” Hashem wants the best for us. We saw that Hashem took us out of Egypt. Hashem showed us that He’s full of mercy, and that He loves us. What He asks of us, is to believe in this. Emuna! Even in the dark times. Believe in prayer. Stop the snowball, the spiritual avalanche. The Yetzer Hora fights against every mitzvah, that we shouldn’t rejoice in it, and against every day, that we should think that today isn’t a day – that it doesn’t count.

Many people aren’t faithful. One day they’re in this camp, the next day, they’ve joined the opposition. We need to believe in Hashem – that Hashem is kind and loving. What would you want from your friend in a difficult time? You would want him to stand strong and stick with you. This is what Hashem wants from us. To believe in Him, that everything is for the best, and to not worry.

We are made in a way that we are dependent. Nothing needs more taking care of than man. A baby is completely dependent on its mother. Our souls are even more sensitive. Hashem created this world, to take care of us. What does He want from us? Emuna. Do mitzvot, even if you don’t see yourself succeeding. When did Dovid HaMelech become the fourth leg of the Divine chariot? When he said Tehillim? No. When his dear son threw him out of his own house, and he had to run away, and the great Rosh Yeshiva came along and cursed him publicly? No. It was a few moments later, when the head of his army came and wanted to take vengeance on his behalf and Dovid said “No. Not now. Hashem told him to curse.” That was the moment. He lived with his Emuna, in the most trying of times.

Emuna is something for all times. Rebbe Levi Yitzchak of  Berditchev went to the Maggid of Mezeritch and was away from home for a few months. When he came back, his father-in-law, who was a bit upset that he’d left his daughter alone for so long, asked him what he’d learnt there with his Rebbe. He imagined it would be some deep insights into the Torah. The Berdichever told him that he learnt that Hashem exists.

“Is that all?!” growled the father-in-law. The father-in-law called his simple maid into the room and asked her, “Is there a G-d?”

The maid replied, “Of course!”

There and then, the Berdichever commented to his father-in-law, “She says it, but I know it.” This is our Rebbe Nachman – other people talk about emuna, but the Rebbe teaches us to live our emuna..

Know that the exile is because people don’t have enough Emuna, and give up. They want to feel something, but don’t manage to, so they go home. Emuna is something we need to learn. It takes time. There are tests. When we have Emuna, we don’t get depressed, and we’d be excited to pray and learn. It’s hard to get to Emuna. But even a bit of Emuna is also a good thing. What do I need to do right now? I need to jump into the sea with Emuna. Every morning afresh. Hashem wants me, and needs me. Whatever I go through – it’s all from Hashem, exactly how it goes. I’ll do my best to do whatever mitzvot I can, and keep away from bad. Success isn’t my business. My business is Emuna.