The Shmuz

 Parshas Re’eh: If Hashem Wants Me to be Happy, Why Am I So Broke? 

I say every morning ‘sheasah li kol tzarci’- Hashem, You
have provided me with all of my needs. Three times a day I remind myself
that You open Your hand and satisfy every living thing with its desire.
I know You want me to be happy, to enjoy Your world, to keep mitzvos and
do Your will...so if that’s the case, WHY AM I SO BROKE? In this week’s Shmuz on the Parsha, we will take a closer
look at this apparent contradiction. Listen now and learn how to: 

 Free yourself from the unhappiness
caused by unfulfilled desires  

Even if you’re more comfortable than Jeff Bezos, you’re going to
find this week's Shmuz very relevant.  

It was July of 1969, when Neil Armstrong landed on the moon, took his first steps, and announced, “It’s a small step for a man, a giant leap for mankind.”

With those words he entered history as the man who walked on the moon.

Yet how much of the credit goes to him? Buzz Aldrin stepped down but a few moments later, and no one remembers him. But even more, it took thousands of men, hundreds of year to develop the science and technology to put a man into space. So how much is him and how much is he but a cog in the wheel?
 

Bitachon can’t be learned from a book. We can learn the theory, get a grip on the fundamentals of our hashkafa and think we know that we trust in Hashem. But until we are really tested, we have no idea whether our bitachon is real or not. Being naturally optimistic or anxious isn’t an indication of where we’re holding in bitachon-that’s nothing more than a reflection of our personality. To acquire genuine bitachon is a growth process, an emotional reality that goes beyond an intellectual understanding. In this candid shmuz, Rabbi Shafier explains ‘what happened to my bitachon’ when we find ourselves in a difficult situation and suddenly discover that we don’t have so much menuchas hanefesh afterall. How can we make what we learn a real part of our emotional reality? Listen to this shmuz and get the tools to see Hashem in your life and bring theory into reality.
 

The world that we live in isn’t the way it’s supposed to be. Tisha B’Av gives us that moment of reflection, the opportunity to consider what we are missing and how we can begin to rectify what has been lost. Like children born into darkness, we can’t even comprehend what life should look like, how we are meant to enjoy this world and use it as a tool to become closer to Hashem. This Tisha B’Av, take the time to reset your perspective. Realize what we are missing, and mourn.

 Remember when we had to watch a ton of
Holocaust movies to feel any stirring of emotion on Tisha B’Av? Remember when
we had to drag ourselves out of our pampered comfort zones to think about what
it must have been like to suffer at the hands of the Romans? It wasn’t easy to
imagine what a dangerous, frightening, unpredictable world meant. 

Is it still hard? I don’t think so. Even the
sceptics agree with the Chofetz Chaim
ztl, who said before Moshiach comes, it will feel like the world is spinning
faster and faster and faster. 

When will it stop?  

Have you ever heard the three rules of criticism? 

1. Don’t do it 

2. Don’t do it 

3. Don’t do it 

Ok, everyone knows how it feels to be criticized. Everyone agrees that it’s damaging to our most precious relationships. Some people have lived under the shadow of criticism their whole life, and have the arduous task of trying to rebuild their self-esteem and confidence. So if it’s so incredibly obvious as to why we shouldn’t do it- why do we? In this week’s Shmuz Live, I’ll be deconstructing the science behind the scorn, and give some real-life, practical advice on how to overcome this destructive habit.  

Parshas Pinchas: How To Restore Balance, Focus and Meaning to Your Life

In this week’s Parsha, Pinchas is given the bris shalom after defending the honor of Hashem. Four hundred years ago, The Seforno explained that as a result of this gift, Pinchas was granted longevity. By living ‘at peace with himself’ Pinchas was able to live a longer, healthier life.

Would you like to live more at peace with yourself? Be less stressed, more grounded? It’s hard to know where to start.

How can I restore an equilibrium between my inner conflicts and desires? How can I achieve a healthy work-life balance, when I feel pulled in so many conflicting directions? And how can I stop myself feeling so frazzled, even when I know it damages my immune system and makes me miserable and tired? As always, the lessons of the Parsha offer us all a startling perspective. Want to hear more on how you can make lasting changes to improve your life, get healthy and enjoy your time in this world? This Shmuz is for you.