Welcome ladies and gentlemen, welcome to another daily chizuk (encouragement) of Rabbi Eliezer Zeytouneh. I am Rabbi Zeytouneh and here is today's message. The Gemara, Masechet Sanhedrin (Tractate Sanhedrin), Daf Kuf Vav, Amud Bet (folio 106b), writes, “Rachmana liba ba'ei”: Borei Olam (God) wants your heart, God wants your feelings, God wants your emotions. And the question that everybody asks is: Why is it so hard for us to have an emotional relationship with HaKadosh Baruch Hu? I think I might know why. Borei Olam created us with an inborn defense mechanism. When a person is scared he’s going to get hurt, he puts up certain defenses. And the truth of the matter is, many times it works. We put up and build up these barriers between us and other people until they gain our trust and we gain their trust. And all of a sudden, those barriers start to fall and they start to dissipate and disappear.
The problem is that we’re so used to and accustomed to erecting these barriers that, unfortunately, many times we have these barriers that we put up between ourselves and HaKadosh Baruch Hu. For the same reason. But the truth is, it’s nonsense. Because the more that we could put down our guards and allow ourselves to emotionally bond to our Father in Heaven, the more Borei Olam shows us how much He loves us. So try it. Go there in your next Tefillah (prayer), be it Mincha (afternoon prayer), be it Shacharit (morning prayer), wherever it is you’re talking to God, Birkat Hamazon (Grace after Meals), or just walking down the street, and try to be a little bit more emotional with your Creator. And watch how Borei Olam smiles at you and holds you and shows you, “I love you.” Let’s try it today. Rabbi Eliezer Zeytouneh, Hashem loves you. Put down those fences. Break the wall. Connect to Hashem. Have a great day.