articles on Foundations of Faith
series on Foundations of Faith
series on Foundations of Faith
Emuna From the Cradle
The main mitzvah upon which all the other mitzvot are structured is emuna, certainty of G-d. The Gemara tells us (Makkot 24) that the Prophet Habakuk "summed up" all the mitzvot into one, saying, "The righteous will live by his faith." Therefore, since we are obligated to teach our children to fulfill the Torah's commandments, it is clear that we must teach them emuna from a very young age – for that is the mitzvah on which everything else stands.
Rabbi Shalom Arush | Shvat 19 5782
45. The “Hassid” (Saintly Person)
The saintly person is a leader. All of his senses and attributes - both spiritual and physical - submit themselves to his command. This is what King Solomon says, “One who rules his spirit is greater than one who captures a city” (Proverbs 16:32).
Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed | 5762
48. More about the Ideal Jew
A Hassid senses that God accompanies him, protects him, and sustains him at all times. It is as if angels of God were accompanying and protecting him. True, he cannot actually see them, but he senses their presence. He feels protected and cared for.
Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed | 5762
50. One Hundred Blessings
The Sages ruled that a Jew must pronounce at least one hundred blessings each day. Ostensibly, this obligation is a burden and a nuisance. However, a more penetrating view teaches us that such blessings actually give a person pleasure and enjoyment.
Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed | 5762
51. Beginning the Day
Upon waking, one's heart becomes filled with rapture due to the renewed encounter with God's great and bountiful creation. This leads to a desire to give thanks to the Almighty for everything. The first word to come out of one's mouth is “Thanks.”
Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed | 5762
47. The “Hassid” - The Ideal Jew
A 'Hassid' is the quintessential Jew. His heart is filled with faith in God. He constantly senses God's closeness, as if God were standing before him. He believes that God knows all, hidden thoughts, feelings of the heart - all is revealed to God.
Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed | 5762
49. True Faith Brings Trust in God
True and complete faith in God causes one to believe that whatever He does is for the best. This provides a most sturdy defense against hardships and suffering. One who has faith in God is not broken by hardships, but actually receives them lovingly.
Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed | 5762
44. The Servant of God
Asceticism is not a virtue but a vice. The servant of God loves this world and long life, because through them he acquires the World to Come. With every good deed that a person does in this world he will acquire a higher level in the World to Come.
Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed | 5762
43. Hebrew's Preeminence - Continued
The Holy People has a Holy Tongue which possesses intrinsic value. It is a lofty language which God Himself employed when creating the world and giving His Law to Israel. It is a clean and pure language that befits the spiritual content it expresses.
Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed | 5762
42. The Preeminence of the Holy Tongue
The Hebrew language. It is only natural that the nation of Israel, which harbors such great, lofty, and divine ideas, should have a special language, a profound, pure, and rich tongue that allows for complete and accurate expression of its views.
Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed | 5762
41. Torah and Secular Disciplines
The Rabbi describes the breadth of wisdom possessed by Israel, particularly the Sages of Israel. The Sages had to be versed in all of the world's sciences, for all of these disciplines are needed for a proper understanding of the Torah's commandments.
Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed | 5762
40. Reward and Punishment
The Jewish people are unique. The Divine Presence resides amongst them, and this situation brings both privileges and demands. When the nation as a whole senses God's presence in its midst, it possesses the power to lead a sacred and pure existence.
Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed | 5762
39. The Commandments - A Beloved Burden
The precepts are not a burden but a privilege. They are beautiful ornaments, and it is a delight to decorate with them. They fill one's entire life, and this is what is so great about them. All aspects of life are illuminated by the Torah's light.
Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed | 5762
38. “Israel, Through Whom I Will Be glorified”
Israel was created with the purpose of proclaiming God's praise in the world: “I have fashioned this nation for Myself, they will relate my praise” (Isaiah 43:21). And we relate God's praise through a life of sanctity, through Torah and commandments.
Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed | 5762
37. Torah Commandments: The Ultimate Joy
Human intellect says that the ideal servant is one who worships God through fasting and abstention. This, people believe, is how a righteous person ought to be. The Torah, however, says that the perfect service is that which is carried out joyfully.
Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed | 5762
35. The Commandments Depend on Good Character Traits
Positive character traits serve as a foundation for the Torah's commandments. It is inconceivable that a person observe the Torah's commandments if he lacks positive character traits. The Commandments themselves constitute the height of perfection.
Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed | 5762
14. Contradictions between Science and Torah
Many ask: How does the Torah account for scientific proofs which demonstrate that the universe has existed for billions of years? How can this be resolved with Jewish tradition which claims that the universe was created no more than 6000 years ago?
Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed | 5762
36. Well-balanced Character Traits
Honoring the Sabbath is tantamount to thanking the Almighty. God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh. Hence, observing the Sabbath brings man closer to the Almighty than numerous prayers or acts self-denial and mortification.
Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed | 5762
33. God's Covenants with the Jewish People
If any other nation had gone through what the Jewish people did, they would have assimilated and disappeared. What element is it that keeps the Jewish people going under even trying circumstances? Answer: the covenant which God made with Israel.
Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed | 5762
10. Israel's Uniqueness
What makes the Jewish people different from other nations is not the fact that they possess a different outlook, faith, or law; rather, the Jews boast an essentially different nature and being - a divine soul.
Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed | Tevet, 5762
21. God's Elite Line
“How can we be expected to accept the entire story of the Exodus or the Revelation at Sinai, or, for that matter, any other praises of Israel, when we consider how greatly they transgressed against God by making and worshiping the Golden Calf?”
Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed | 5762
19. Divine Providence and Prophetic Revelation
Through the Exodus from Egypt, the Splitting of the Red Sea, and the Giving of the Torah, the three fundamental principles of Jewish faith were established: God's Divine Providence over creation, His unbounded Sovereignty, and the Torah's Divinity.
Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed | 5762
16. God's Hand in Nature
God is like an artist who utilizes various paints to create his work of art. One cannot attribute the profound idea and the beauty of the painting to the paints themselves! Insofar as these matters are concerned, credit must be given to the painter.
Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed | 5762
34. The Jewish People's Extensive Suffering
When the nation of Israel finally experiences complete redemption, the purpose of their long and difficult exile will become evident. It will be made clear that the Jewish people's suffering was not do to their inferiority, but to their preeminence.
Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed | 5762
1. Belief in God: From Design
It is not enough to be satisfied with recognizing the Creator through His creation. This great and wondrous creation which we are so impressed by, from the point of view of God and in light of His infinite ability, amounts to very little.
Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed | Heshvan 5762
18. The Exodus and Jewish Faith
Religious systems which spring from the human mind begin with individuals and spreads to the masses. This is not true of the Jewish faith, for it originated with God Himself. It came into existence suddenly, not unlike the creation of the world.
Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed | 5762
3. Good Intentions, Good Deeds
Good intention alone is not enough! If one does not know how to perform the proper deeds, it is possible, despite all good intentions, to cause great damage. Even in the course pursuing good, it is possible to perform appalling deeds.
Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed | Cheshvan, 5762
2. Belief in God: Eyewitness Account
Proofs of the existence of the Creator based upon the intelligent design of His creation remain speculative, probable proofs - "circumstantial evidence." Faith in God's existence based on accurate eyewitness testimony is superior to this.
Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed | Cheshvan, 5762
26. This World and the World to Come
Cognizance of the World to Come changes one's entire way of relating to our world. One who possesses such a faith does not look for worldly rewards; instead, he dedicates his life to preparation, in order to guarantee his place in the World to Come.
Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed
15. Perceiving God
One of the first questions asked by one who seeks out faith is, “Can man, the finite and ephemeral being that he is, possibly perceive the infinite and boundless God. Why, it is impossible to see God, for, “No man shall see Me and remain alive” (Exodus 33:20).
Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed | 5762
20. God's Incorporeality
“Never does the Torah write something that the logic dictates as false. While religious faith is above the dictates of human logic, it does not run counter to it. Our faith distances itself greatly from attributing any sort of physicality to God.”
Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed | 5762
12. A History of the Divine
The story of the human race is a history of the evolution of the Divine spark in man. Adam, the Almighty's own direct handiwork, was created flawless, "In the image of God." Yet, not all of Adam's progeny inherited this elevated status.
Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed | Tevet, 5762
17. According to Divine Guidance
One of the pillars of Jewish faith is the acknowledgment that the only way to serve God is by following His guidelines - for His plan is beyond man's comprehension. No individual is capable of arriving at God's desire through sheer contemplation.
Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed | 5762
5. Historical Proof
The Khazar king was puzzled. In what sense could the story of the Exodus, the Revelation at Sinai, or the account of the forefathers serve as a solid foundation for faith?
Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed | Cheshvan, 5762
27. The Preeminence of the Land of Israel
The relationship is reciprocal. The special quality of the land of Israel cannot be manifest without the Jewish people settled thereupon. Similarly, the people of Israel are unable to express their great qualities unless settled in their land.
Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed | 5762
22. The Sin of the Golden Calf Reconsidered
Following the Giving of the Torah, the Israelites made a Golden Calf and began to worship it. Such a sin, it would be expected, should have brought irrevocable disrepute upon that generation. But this event deserves to be seen in a different light.
Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed | 5762
23. Why Was Torah Given to Israel Alone?
God willed that creation consist of varying levels. In this manner the world is capable of attaining perfection. Therefore, humankind itself consists of levels: there is the Chosen People, and there are other people who do not belong to this group.
Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed | 5762
6. Gifts From the King of India
God Himself initiated our faith. It was not intellectual investigation that brought us face to face with the Creator; rather, it was the Almighty who brought us close to Him.
Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed | Cheshvan, 5762
30. The Preeminence of the Holy Land (Continued)
Just as the nation of Israel is God's Chosen People, so too the land of Israel is God's Chosen land. This land was designated as an inheritance for the Jewish people since the time when God established the respective boarders of the world's nations.
Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed | 5762
