Daily Bitachon

Introduction: The Psychology of Giving and Taking Welcome to our daily character refinement. We previously discussed the distinction between being a giver and being a taker. Even when a taker gives, he is ultimately taking, because his underlying motive is to receive something in return—he gives only to get back. Conversely, when a true giver takes, he is still giving, because his ultimate intenti...

The Innate Spark of Giving Welcome to our daily lessons on character refinement. We are citing the Michtav MeEliyahu in his Kuntres HaChesed (page 35 / chapter 4), where he explains that every human being possesses an innate spark—a natural desire to give. For each person, this desire manifests in different ways. Ideally, one raises a family, has children, and gives devotedly to those children. Pe...

Introduction: The Search for the Core Principle Welcome to our daily middot character refinement class. Rav Wolbe, in his sefer Alei Shur (Volume II, page 180), points out that in many places, our Rabbis give us fundamental principles upon which all the mitzvot are built. For example, the Gemara in Berachot 63a tells us that Bar Kappara taught: What is a short passage upon which the entire Torah d...

True Chesed: Giving What the Other Person Needs Welcome to our daily class on character refinement. Today, we are exploring the concept of chesed (loving-kindness), and specifically what it means to give another person what they truly need. Sometimes, what a person needs most is actually the opportunity to do you a favor. By doing that favor, they feel better about themselves. Consider a dinner gu...

Your Face Is a Public Domain Welcome to our daily character refinement. We've been talking a lot about giving someone a smile, and there is always more to explore. As we've mentioned, Rav Wolbe related that his father-in-law, Rav Avraham Grodzinski, spent two years working specifically on this trait. We also noted Rabbi Yisrael Salanter's famous maxim: Your face is a public domain; your heart is a...

Introduction: The Chamber of Silence Welcome to our daily character refinement class. Continuing with the concept of performing chesed (loving-kindness) in a discreet way, this practice is rooted in a Mishnah in Shekalim (Chapter 5, Mishnah 6). The Mishnah describes that in the Beit HaMikdash (Holy Temple), there was a chamber known as the Lishkat Chasha'im —the Chamber of Silence (or Chamber of t...

Introduction to Chesed and Everyday Acts of Kindness Welcome to our daily character refinement. We are discussing the concept of chesed (lovingkindness). For the past eight classes or so, we have focused on noticing when someone lacks something, offering a necessary smile, and focusing on the obvious next step: looking for small, manageable actions that require minimal effort. Rav Wolbe provides p...

Welcome to Our Special Shabbos Series Rav Wolbe, in Sefer Alei Shur (Volume II, page 832), explains that Shabbos is fundamentally different from all other mitzvot. A standard mitzvah is defined by tzivui —a commandment. Shabbos, however, is not merely a commandment; it is also, and primarily, a matana —a gift. As the Gemara ( Shabbos 10b) records, God said to Moshe Rabbeinu: "I have a precious gif...

Universal Chesed : Beyond the Inner Circle Welcome back to our daily character refinement class. We are still on the topic of chesed (loving-kindness). We have spent several introductory sessions delving into the teachings of Rav Shlomo Wolbe, focusing on how we engage with people: noticing their needs and projecting genuine warmth toward them. Rav Wolbe emphasizes that we cannot pick and choose w...

Introduction: The Foundation of Chesed Welcome to Daily Character Refinement , our new series! It is going to take a while until we get the new name down completely. Today, we are discussing working on the trait of chesed (loving-kindness). True chesed starts long before we perform any external action; it begins with the proper mindset. Specifically, we are focusing on two core principles: Noticin...

A Shift Toward Character Development Welcome to our daily bitachon class. We could almost change the title now to "Daily Character Perfection," because we are going to be working on middot for the next little while. For those who are more interested in bitachon than in working on their character traits, consider this a heads-up. Up until now, we have been discussing chesed . Before we take any pra...

Episode 05: Stored Sunshine Welcome to the Daily Bitachon and Middot series. We spoke previously about the profound benefits the human soul and emotions derive from a warm smile, and we quoted the Gemara in Ketubot 111b: ולובן שיניים מחלב —the white of one's teeth is greater than milk. As always, the Torah, which understands the essence of man from the inside out, predated modern science by hundre...

The Mitzvah of Ha'arat Panim Welcome to Daily Bitachon . In our middot series, we are discussing the concept of ha'arat panim —shining one's face upon someone else—which is a fundamental pillar of chesed . The Gemara ( Makkot 10a) teaches something extraordinary about the final days of Moshe Rabbeinu. The Torah states: אָז יַבְדִּיל מֹשֶׁה שָׁלֹשׁ עָרִים בְּעֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן מִזְרְחָה שָׁמֶשׁ "The...

Introduction to Ha'arat Panim Welcome to Daily Bitachon. In our new middot series based on Alei Shur , we are currently exploring the topic of chesed (loving-kindness). The first two lessons focused on recognizing another person's needs and deficiencies. Now, we turn to what Rav Wolbe calls ha'arat panim ( הארת פנים )—the shining of the face. The Two Divine Approaches: Shining vs. Hiding We know t...

Welcome to a special Shabbos edition. In the beginning of creation, after Adam and Chava sinned, the Torah states: ויעש השם אלוקים לאדם ולאשתו כתנות עור וילבישם —Hashem made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and He clothed them. The Gemara in Maseches Sotah (14a) derives from this pasuk the mitzvah of hachnasat orchim and clothing the naked ( malbish arumim ): just as Hashem clothed the nake...

Welcome to Daily Bitachon in our middot series on the topic of chesed . Yesterday, we discussed how the first step of chesed is not necessarily about physical giving. Rather, it is viewing the world through the lens of asher yechsar lo ( אשר יחסר לו )—three words in the Torah that mean "whatever he is lacking." We emphasize the word lo ("to him"): first, it is an actual lack, and second, it is a l...

Welcome to Daily Bitachon. We are going to shift our focus slightly and work on perfecting our middot (character traits). This series will be based on Rav Wolbe's Alei Shur , where he outlines various middot to develop, beginning with the foundational trait of chesed (loving-kindness). Rav Wolbe begins by noting that the original temptation presented by the serpent was man's desire to become a yot...

The Sefer Chemdat Yamim (on the topic of Shabbos, section one, chapter two) discusses the critical importance of preparing for Shabbos ( hachanah ) and the unique spiritual power inherent in Friday. As we know, Adam HaRishon was created on Friday, standing as the ultimate purpose of all creation. In a wedding procession, the most important figures arrive last: the chatan enters, and finally, the k...

Welcome back to our daily dose of bitachon . This will be, be'ezrat Hashem , the final class in the series we began on Rosh Chodesh Tammuz, which has taken us through the months of mourning, comfort, teshuvah , joy, and finally winding down with Isru Chag. The coming month has no holidays, which is why it is traditionally known not just as Cheshvan, but as Marcheshvan —meaning the "bitter" month o...

Rav Chaim Palagi, in Moed LeChol Chai (24:25), cites Nazir Shimshon on Masechet Sukkah, which records an ancient manuscript detailing a well-known custom: on Hoshana Rabbah, women bite off the pitom of the etrog, distribute tzedakah according to their means, and pray for an easy labor and a healthy child. Why specifically bite the etrog rather than simply eat etrog preserves? Chazal teach that acc...

Welcome to Daily Bitachon, a special edition for Isru Chag, the day immediately following Yom Tov. The primary source for the concept of Isru Chag is found in Gemara Sukkah 45b, expounding on Tehillim 118:27: אל ה ויאר לנו, אסרו חג בעבתים עד קרנות המזבח Hashem is God, He has illuminated for us; bind the festal offering with cords until the corners of the altar. On a straightforward level, this ver...

Continuing our theme of humility during the holiday of Sukkot, we will now connect it to Hoshana Rabbah, based on the teachings of the holy Ben Ish Chai. First, we look at what the Kaf HaChaim writes in siman 664 in the name of Sefer Mateh Moshe . He explains that Hoshana Rabbah is known as a great day of kapparah (atonement). God told Avraham: "I am One in the world and you are one in the world....

Welcome to Daily Bitachon . We have been discussing the concept that Sukkos is fundamentally an era of humility. Rav Avraham Schorr, in his Sefer Lekach VeHaLibov on Sukkos (page 20), teaches that the Yom Tov of Sukkos is intimately connected to Avraham Avinu. As the Midrash ( Bamidbar Rabbah, Nasso 14:2) notes, when Avraham invited the angels and said, "Hisha'anu tachas ha'etz" ("Rest beneath the...

When Sukkot Doesn't Go as Planned Welcome to Daily Bitachon. We are currently celebrating Sukkos, and it is a very different kind of Sukkos this year due to the heavy rain brought on by a nor'easter. Many people were fortunate enough to get some of their meals in, while very few managed to eat all of them in the sukkah. Most people could not sleep inside, and some even had their sukkahs blown away...