A Ukrainian villager had a pain in his hand. Three visits to the country doctor didn't help at all. He finally traveled to the big city and scheduled an appointment with the big professor... This is an old Chassidic parable that explains Tisha B'av and exile.

Neither the biggest tzaddik, the most eloquent of speakers, nor the greatest poet can describe his perception of Hashem. It's so individual and so very lofty that it remains in the mind's eye…

The Jewish People's turbulent history is one continuous story of Divine Direction. It transcends all logic, military and otherwise. It's beyond nature to the extent that experts in military history and strategy understand everything but Jewish history. That's exactly what Hashem's personal Divine Direction is, constantly defying nature and logic.

The concluding lesson of the "7 Beggars" introduces us to the beggar with no hands, who reveals the deep secrets behind the "Tikkun Klali" and tikkun olam, the final rectification of the world.

We live in a world that is not short of guides. Politicians tell us how society should be run. Clergymen tell us how to live. Wellness experts tell us how to feel. And yet so many of them struggle privately with the very things they teach. Isaac is different. What Isaac gives, he gives from a life fully lived. And he’s still going. He practices every word he preaches, every single day. Let's meet him...

Nothing upsets those who strengthen their emuna in Divine Direction. A situation might be physically painful or stressful for them, but they won't feel negative emotions.

"Anyone who believes that all of life's events are the result of Hashem's Divine Direction brings compassion from the Upper World down to this world." If the Bat Ayin said it, it's a signed check we can all trust.

Prayer to Mitigate Suffering, based on the Bat Ayin famous quotation:

"Master of the World, I firmly believe that my difficulties, troubles, and challenges—especially the one I am facing right now—are from You and are a result of Your precise Divine Direction that never makes mistakes, for You are perfect. Although I may not understand why I am suffering this hardship, I wholeheartedly believe that You love me and are giving me this challenge for my highest good. Please, Father in Heaven, as I willingly accept this tribulation, kindly also accept my prayer for ___________________ (fill in the blank with whatever you wish to ask for). May Your Holy Name be blessed forever and ever, amen."

The hunchback beggar introduces the concept of "the little that holds a lot." A group claimed they had this attribute. But really, the hunchback was the only one, for he knew how to reach the great tree…

After having learned about Divine Direction in finding a soulmate, we now learn about Divine Direction in making a living. The two subjects logically follow one another, especially since our sages say that both are as difficult as splitting the Red Sea...

The notorious Three Weeks are here again. We thought that the catastrophe of Shabbat Shmini Atzeret, October 7, 2023, would unite us. For a few months, it did. But now, with the smell of elections on the way and the cheap populism of many politicians, intramural hatred between right and left / religious and non-religious has resurfaced like ragweed in an uncultivated field...