IF anyone is interested.....

Aryeh Kaplan's Living Torah Commentary FREE PDF on all 5 books of Moshe https://ia801804.us.archive.org/2/items/LivingTorah/LivingTorah.pdf

Make it a habit to speak to Hashem – not only when life feels heavy, but also in the quiet moments when everything seems fine. Talk to Him throughout your day, the way you’d stay in touch with someone you love. Share the big fears and the small details, the serious questions and even the thoughts that feel silly or unfinished. Prayer isn’t reserved for emergencies; it’s meant for gratitude, reflection, and connection in the ordinary moments too.

Don’t worry if the words don’t come out right – Hashem understands the heart behind them. You don’t need the right words to pray – even when the words feel tangled or incomplete, your prayer is still heard. Remember, Hashem listens with understanding and compassion, not grammatical scrutiny. Prayer isn’t an exam in eloquence or precision – it’s a relationship. A sentence that comes out broken but honest can be more powerful than a flawless one spoken on autopilot. What matters isn’t how polished your words are, but that your heart is open and present.

Speak to Hashem about your worries and concerns, but don’t stop there. Talk about your hopes, your dreams, the future you’re trying to grow into. Ask for strength when you feel weak, wisdom when you feel unsure, clarity when things get foggy, and comfort when you’re tired. Keeping that line of communication open grounds you, centers your thoughts, and gently reminds you that you’re never alone.

Over time, this steady conversation changes how you carry yourself through the day. With consistent prayer, something shifts inside you before anything shifts around you. You begin to move with a little more trust, a little more calm. You may not always get immediate clarity, but even when answers aren’t obvious, there’s a quiet sense of being held, guided, and seen. Prayer becomes less about outcomes and more about closeness.

So keep showing up, and keep praying. Hashem is always near, always available, and always ready to listen.

Inspired by the teachings of Rebbe Nachman (1772-1810)

What’s Happening Is Temporary

And a Clear Sign of Amazing Times Ahead

————

If today feels heavy, you are not alone!

What you are walking through right now is not a random storm.

Our Sages taught us to expect this very moment. They called it Chevlei Moshiach, the birth pangs that come just before a new wonderful world of Moshaich is born.

The great Chofetz Chaim explained it with a powerful image. He said that before Moshiach comes, Hashem will take a rope that stretches across the entire world and shake it. Our only job is to hold on tight, and not let go.

So remember this map.

First, see clearly…

This shaking is not punishment.

It is preparation.

It is not permanent.

It is purposeful.

And it is the clearest sign that we are closer than we think.

Second, hold simply…

Your role is not to control the storm or figure out the global script.

Your role is to hold your piece of the rope.

That means turning to Him in trust when the worry rises.

It means choosing a small kindness when fear tells you to close down.

It means believing the Author of this story is also its Director, and He is writing an ending of pure light.

Finally, remember gently…

You do not need to feel strong for Him to act.

You do not need to have perfect clarity for Him to move.

Hashem is closer than your confusion. He is already working behind the scenes of your life and of our world.

Your perseverance right now, your choice to hold on while everything shakes, is a sacred act.

It is how we build the world to come.

This is the final stretch. The dawn is near.

Your future self, in a redeemed world, is so proud of you for holding on today!

Be strong. Be courageous.

How?

By holding on to tightly Hashem.

P.S. A practical breath for when it feels heavy: Just pause. Whisper, “Hashem, I am turning to You and holding on tight. Please continue to be my strength.” Then breathe. You are holding onto the One who will never let go.

Why the World Feels Separate

If Divine light were revealed without restraint,

creation would lose all sense of identity.

Hashem wanted a world that experiences itself as independent

so that human beings could choose, grow,

and return to Him willingly.

That is the purpose of tzimtzum:

not to remove G-dliness,

but to conceal it enough

for creation to exist as itself.

⸻

The Key Clarification

The concealment is real for us.

It is not real for Hashem.

To Him,

darkness and light are the same.

The veils do not block Him,

because they come from Him.

Like a shell that is part of the animal itself,

the concealment is not foreign to G-dliness.

It is G-dly.

That is why the Torah says:

Hashem is Elokim.

Revelation and concealment are one.

⸻

The Message

Creation introduced change only

in how the world experiences Hashem.

It introduced no change in Hashem Himself.

What feels separate exists only because it is being held.

What feels distant exists only because it is being sustained.

From His perspective,

everything is still within Him,

utterly null,

and His oneness remains

exactly as it always was,

before creation and after.

Creation is not separate from Hashem.

It only appears that way to us.

Hashem’s “speech” did not leave Him to create the world.

It is continuously revealing and sustaining it from within.

The world feels real.

Hashem is reality itself.

And living with that awareness

quietly changes how we see everything.

Be kinder than necessary. Everyone is healing from something, and behind every smile may rest an untold struggle. A gentle word or kind gesture can be the lifeline someone has been waiting for. Compassion may not solve every battle, but it reminds the fighter they’re not alone.

Inspired by the teachings of Rebbe Nachman (1772-1810)

Holiness is not something you add to yourself.

It appears when self-focus quiets

and attention turns toward Hashem.

This happens when a person submits to truth,

places loyalty in truth rather than self,

and aligns with it regardless of cost.

When ego steps aside, wisdom becomes accessible.

Where wisdom is present, holiness follows.

If you feel distant, it does not mean holiness is gone.

It means truth is being resisted.

Closeness returns the moment a person chooses loyalty to truth over comfort

and aligns with what they know is right.

Soften your need to know.

Today’s contemplation is to recognize how much is unknown. As you encounter people and ideas, notice the subtle pull to appear as “the expert,” even when it comes to all of us. Can you soften the need to know and let life stay open and limitless?

Wisdom is easier to access when the mind is humble. Rest in the understanding that reality is far bigger than any viewpoint. Humility is not a lack of knowledge but a willingness to meet what is, freshly.

Reroute Your Thoughts with Emuna

We’ve all heard the phrase “think positive.” But let’s be real—it’s not so easy when life hurls curveballs and our minds spiral into negativity. The question is, how do we actually shift the inner script?

Chazal gift us with a powerful practice: the moment a negative thought sneaks in, visualize the words “Shiviti Hashem l’negdi tamid” — I place Hashem before me always. Close your eyes, and imagine the holy Name Y-K-V-K shining before your mind’s eye. The quicker you anchor your mind in Hashem’s presence, the faster the negative thought loses its grip.

Dovid HaMelech teaches, “Why are you downcast, my soul?” (Tehillim 43:5) — even he had to talk back to his inner doubt. You have that same holy right. Your soul was created for light, not lingering darkness.

Each time you reroute your thoughts, you're not only healing yourself—you’re sending waves of positivity into the world. Your thoughts have cosmic ripple effects. You are powerful. You are a channel of divine renewal.