Enhancing Our Emuna

Emuna is wisdom of the soul. It is the core belief that G-d loves, cares for us, and personally supervises every facet of our lives.  Emuna is the life force of the Jewish nation. Emuna is knowing the truth of life and our purpose in this world.
 
Internalizing emuna changes the way we live. It has the ability to energize our thoughts, our speech and our actions. The Torah requires us to work towards uncovering emuna of the heart, and to live our lives based on this emuna as it is written^1,  “And you should know today that G-d is the One and Only Master of the universe.”
 
The verse,² “…Ka’asher yeesah ha’uman et hayonek… (…As the nurse carries the suckling…)” captures the quintessence of an emuna-based relationship with Hashem.  The uman (nurse) takes care of her baby with particular care since she knows the extent of the baby’s dependence and vulnerability.  Similarly, the Almighty takes care of us. The baby knows only its nurse (parents) and completely relies on her care.  G-d therefore designs particular situations in life to deliberately reveal our dependence on Him and see none other than Him.
 
Whether or not we are consciously aware of it every moment, the Jewish People are completely reliant upon Hashem. We are all connected to a Divine source that infuses us with life every single moment, as the verse teaches³, “V’atem ha’dveikim b’Hashem Elokeichem chaim koolchem hayom(And you who attach yourself to Hashem are all living today).”
 
Our emuna can be essentially measured as the degree to which we feel ourselves solely dependent on G-d’s loving care and guidance. The Kotzker Rebbe zt’l asked his Chasidim, “Where is G-d to be found?” and then himself answered that “G-d is found wherever man lets Him in.”
 
The more effort we invest in becoming cognizant of our Divine connection, the more alive and more content we feel. Admittedly, G-dly knowledge takes time and effort to grasp.  However, ‘Where there is a will, there is a way’ and by aligning our will with His Will, it will happen.  Each of us can merit spiritual vision and feel G-d’s presence if we truly want it and value it. Being All loving and All kind, Hashem would not present us with a gift that was impossible to open. The beauty of emuna is that we do not need to search for it as we already have it. As Jews, each of us house an inner spark of truth embedded in us at the time of the Giving of the Torah on Har Sinai. When we access this most precious gift given to us by the Almighty, we pinpoint the purpose of life and consciously become aware of  the reality that Ein Od Milvado (There is no other existence but G-d).
 
Here are some practical ways we can kindle our emuna:
 
Learn Torah every day. Chochmah (wisdom) gives birth to binah (understanding) and understanding leads to da’at (knowledge).  Knowledge affects our emotions.  It is the bridge between mind and heart and motivates us to seek meaning.  Each time we delve into Torah study, we sharpen our vision and enhance our ability to live with emuna.
 
Speak words of emuna. As it says⁴, “He’emanti ki adaber… (I believed because I spoke…).” Our emuna is strengthened by talking to G-d and begging Him to help us. Furthermore, we are greatly affected by what we hear, including our own words.   Listening has a deep effect on our soul. For instance, three times a day we invoke all of Israel to ‘Listen’ with the words of “Shema Yisrael, Listen O’Yisrael…”
 
Express gratitude for everything. We can take advantage of every opportunity to ‘see’ G-d in our lives. We can actively search for His kindness in everything that happens to us, from the cup of coffee in the morning to the working washing machine. Searching and actively recognizing the magnitude of G-d’s unconditional love and care has a powerful flow-on effect of enabling us to recognize more of His hashgacha pratit (Divine Providence) in our lives. 
   
Find, celebrate and practice our own unique, G-dly purpose. Remember that everything we do makes a difference!  We are ‘co-partners’ with the Creator. Each of us has been gifted with immense power to infuse G-dly light into this world in our own unique way. We are connected to an eternal powerhouse and are an integral part of a ‘greater plan.’ 
 
By practicing the above tips we can deepen our awareness of the Almighty’s presence every possible moment. We can strive to attain a level whereby our every act and every thought is filled with the connection and awareness of G-d.  Our Creator communicates with us through the circumstances of our lives. We can reciprocate by recognizing, accepting and appreciating His ways. Ultimately, we can elevate our emuna to a state where we ‘know’ and ‘feel’ Him with ever-increasing intensity. This process enhances our heartfelt bond with G-d, enabling us to capture emuna in our very essence so that we retain it safe within us always.
 
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¹Devarim, 4:39
²Bamidbar, 11:12
³Devarim,Ve’etchanan, 4:4
⁴Tehillim, 116:10
 
About the Author
 
Orit Esther Riter, Author of the Daily Dose of Emuna
 
Orit Esther Riter, born in Brooklyn, New York, is a caterer by profession. However, after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in 2006, her life’s direction took a different course. In 2009, Orit made aliyah with her family from Monsey, NY. She currently authors daily on-line articles and emails focusing on spreading emuna to a growing list of subscribers from all around the world. In addition, her emuna classes can be found on Torahanytime.com and YouTube channel. Currently, Orit Esther has five children and one grandson living in Israel. She lives with her husband and four younger children in Ramat Beit Shemesh.
 
For more information, visit her website: www.dailydoseofemuna.com