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A Yissachar / Zebulun Partnership in Loving Memory of Yishak ben Simcha A"H & Felicia bat Miriam A"H
Rabbi David Ashear

Torah Lecture

Emuna Daily Lesson  1

Lectured by Rabbi David Ashear

Published
February 4, 2013
Duration
02:14
Lecture code
RDA-EDL001

This transcript was auto-generated and polished for readability. While we aim for accuracy, errors may occur. If you notice a mistake, please click to submit corrections.

Rabbi Shimshon Pincus once said: There are three madregot; there are three levels of belief in Hashem. The first level, he says, is someone who believes in a world where there are problems, but Hashem is stronger than the world. Hashem could solve all my problems. He calls this level Ani Hashem (I am Hashem).

The second level is someone who realizes that Ani Hashem bekerev ha'aretz (I am Hashem in the midst of the earth), an even higher madregah (level). Not that there is a world, but Hashem is stronger than it. Rather, the world itself is Hashem. The problems, the tzarot. The third and highest level is to believe not that there is a world with Hashem, and not even that Hashem is the world, but that the world we see in front of us is a mirage. It doesn't exist. Ki ein kamoni bechol ha'aretz. There is nothing else other than Hashem.

He described three Jews corresponding to these levels, watching the stock market. The first one is a ma'amin, he believes, and he sees the market going down. So he starts saying Tehillim (Psalms), and he says, “Hashem, I know You could give me Parnassah (livelihood). Please help me.”

The second Jew sees that it's all from Hashem. If the stock market goes up, it's from Hashem. If the stock market goes down, it's from Hashem. But the third says, “This is all ridiculous. Not one penny goes into my pocket from this. It's Hashem who gives me my Parnassah. If He wants, He'll give me my Parnassah from the stock market. If He wants, He'll give me my Parnassah from somewhere else.”

This is the highest level of emunah (faith). This is the level we all hope to achieve. And bezrat Hashem (with God's help), we will get there.