Living With Emunah (Part 283) - Being Thrown in Every Direction

and a good and welcome back to living with amuna please help yourself to some coffee and refreshments and as always a big thank you to our amuna series sponsors we remain deeply indebted to Ai and Bella Morgan in memory of RAB Dr Brian galet and in memory of Bella's mother Dr ell Chan of today Shear is also sponsored in honor of my dear friends Rabbi Mark and Jill Wilds BRS and by the sponsor Z Dano set the foundation for Jewish life and by Cara and Ben Friedman in memory of her mother Helen Coen fifth urte okay thank you to all of our generous sponsors we got a couple of amuna emails to uh to share and then we'll dive into a text specific to sukus relevant to all year round so whenever you're listening to this it is the right time but a specific message relevant to a sucus which can enormously impact the Way You observe and celebrate sukus this year if anybody wants to follow of Gamel there are sheets there but first a couple of amuna emails here we go here's the first one I always play the in the evenings but after a sleepless night I felt I needed the Amun to start off my day on the right foot this isn't the typical story of a random spottify Shear but of a random timing to listen to the current year as mentioned in previous emails I'm dealing with challenges in the fertility realm recently particularly with the start of the New Year I've been feeling overwhelmed not so great and exhausted I've also been having a hard time sleeping at night which has not been helping the situation my day started on the wrong foot andun got it off to a better start number one the r shared the idea that's me about the r shared the idea took me took me a minute I had to reread a couple times the r shared the idea that Tora fill up many worlds not just the World At Large you remember the last year he spoke about when we talk about the world a world did anyone listen too how many times just on repeat over and over that was my eror just repeat over and over so remember we learned why it's repetitive it's redundant why do you have to say twice God you're the king we carnate you King we surrender to you as the king of the whole world the whole world twice so we answered because one is the world out there and the other is our world there are people who are ready to surrender that Hashem you're in charge of the world so the war between the Ukraine and Russia and you'll decide who's going to win the World Series and you determine what's going to be with the stock market you're in charge of that world but my world my world whether my plane took off on time or not did I hit all the red lights on the way to carpo how I react when my kid leaves the toys in the middle of the floor my world fact that it doesn't stop raining and what's going to be on sucus my world so a lot of people are not willing to surrender to Hashem when it comes to our world so we saw the double language is because our world also so and then we spoke about then you can interpret that's what the seventh grade girl taught me K Mar in 1902 that you can interpret all the MOs on three things the world stands three things remove you from the world every time in peros uses the word world it doesn't mean the world out there it means our world our equilibrium our mental health our spiritual health our world our world exists on three things any day that doesn't have Torah if your day didn't have a little dose of Torah if your day didn't have a conversation with the almighty a little aod today didn't have any selfless act or you cared about someone else your world is off kilter your world is imbalanced the world is not rotating on its axis the right way and similar if a person indulges in kavod if a person gives in to lust or Envy or pursuit of honor it removes you from your world you're living someone else's world when you're pursuing honor or when you're jealous of what they have or when you're lusting after something that doesn't belong to you is not appropriate for you it removes you from the world okay so that was the review of last week and the background of this author of this email so the rabbi the shared the idea that Tora fill up many worlds not just the World At Large I was considering canceling a that I offered to a friend after work due to my exhausted State not sleeping the whole night but decided as I was listening to keep my plans as is because that's what keeps my world going so very gratifying very beautiful this person says I was going to cancel but it's a very very important point if you cancel the you were meant to do for another who would suffer the most not the recipient the beneficiary of the you were meant to do you would you would I don't know if anyone Googled I told you to Google it not to believe me it take me at my word but one of the therapies today the top therapies to help treat somebody struggling with depression or anxiety is to volunteer get out of your world get into someone else's world give do volunteer show up care about another it's enormously impactful enormously transformational so if we were to cancel the we were meant to do for another so the person who needed that surely will suffer but we will suffer more because we've retreated back into our world instead of extending ourselves to their number two just like the text we learn I give you my Rashi the whole time we Daren up the emails too we Daren them up number two usually I spend my walk to work with B input by calling B hotline today you read an email from someone who decided to Channel A stress into a simple forword prayer to Hashem just asking for help I decided I already had my input from the Amir and changed my routine to use the the 10 minutes for Bon output to just talk to Hashem which is also great we have a lot of Bon input we subscribe to the email and the WhatsApp and we listen to the shear and we read the book and we get the newsletter there's a lot of sources of amuna out there much better than mine incredible you could sign up for and get so we do a lot of amuna input but how much amuna output right we study we learn we listen we read we tell the story We forward the email but then push comes to shove in that moment we have to dig deep into our amuna muscle or wear our amuna glasses to see the world in that way we also have to have amuna output so she writes to be honest I've been recently having a hard time finding the time and brain space to do so it's harder to get in the zone of act actively talking to Hashem and applying ideas than listening to a I thought about the says just cast onto all your problems just you know you have a friend and really they didn't solve anything they didn't make anything better when you had that coffee or that phone call and you just were able to unload unburden you're able to list all the challeng struggles the issues everything not going right right now and you feel I feel a little bit lighter you're carrying that load with me you're holding the other end of it you're lifting it with me so it feels a little lighter for me so explained that exact same Phenomenon with Hashem that if you cast your issues your challenges your struggles whatever you're going through unload unburden cast it on Hashem so she writes I told all my problems because they're only problems in my eyes one by one after each problem I let hm know I was giving it over to him and I would just try to go let go I imagined me throwing each ball up to hashm with all my might to unload he caught the balls and I tried to feel the issue dissipating as I handed them over to him who's so much bigger than these tools to Help Me Grow the keyword is tried because even in the moment I recognize I still feel the weight on my shoulder but the load is definitely a the lighter with the reminder that hasem brought me here and he will continue guiding my way you already has the solutions and is in the process of resolving every stress so it'll be okay hopefully I'll continue finding time for the output as this is so important to stay grounded and connected thank you for the inspiration blah blah blah the coming year be and feel sweet so a great image right different mental images people use different Vision spoke about shaba the author of K Tas that the difference in sadic and rash is the capacity to use your imagination to use Vision so her vision is each problem is a little pickle it's a little ball just throw it up to hem just throw it up he catches it and he says I got it I got it now you go back to I got it I got it you go back to you I got it I got it so again these emails were we give her a br this year she should welcome a new healthy baby into this world I can't wait to get that email from the same writer that she should welcome her healthy baby but even before the story is over our stories get lighter they're very heavy they weigh on us a weigh on us relationships that are under pressure Financial challenges waiting and longing for companion ship or for a child there are enormous challenges that people have the pain of of loss and just wanting things to feel a little bit lighter to not wake up with that heavy heart with that ache and that pain so how do you make it a little lighter no we can lighten the load for one another that's the that we have to do for each other no rabbi's language is carry the burden with another doesn't say solve the problems of the other person we wish we could but we can't there's so many problems we wish we could wave a magic W press a button solve the problem bring the Lost person back we can't as badly as we want to we can't but what we can do make things a little bit lighter someone walks in the room you get the text I'm pulling in from Costco whoever's home meet me in the driveway you ever send that text get that text all of a sudden everybody all of a sudden the same people who can't lift their eyes from their phone I wasn't on my phone all of a sudden the same addicts who can't get off their phone sorry I didn't see I wasn't on my phone so wh why do you send that text because I'm coming in I'm carrying a boatload of very heavy things make the load a little bit lighter could you help could you take the other side someone walks in the room they're carrying an enormous heavy suitcase a big box you rush let me let me take that with you not let me take it from you let me carry it with you let me make it a little bit lighter for you so among the people who can do that we turn to friends and we should be those friends for others but also say Hashem this is so heavy hurry hurry take the other side carry it with me make it a little bit lighter for me we have that ability that is email number one even before that end of the story that's happy please God but still until then until it gets to be a happy end to the story we can turn to Hashem to make it a little bit lighter next I'm G read one more email to share it with you hopefully to inspire our amuna because also but also you never know who's listening you never know who's listening who knows somebody and maybe we can help this person Gober here's an aun story that has not worked out yet I know that's your favorite smiley face I'm probably the world's biggest isaro fan he greatly influenced me in my religious journey and my decision to make Aliyah happening next month his music literally opened my heart and was largely responsible for bringing me to Orthodox Judaism from my secular upbringing first of all that's unbelievable somebody's music and poetry and words can touch someone so deeply and so real it awakens and arouses something in them bless you that they they changed their life that's unbelievable so first of all we got to just tell about that I'm sure he hears it often but every time it's meaningful when I heard he was coming to Madison Square Garden my hometown I was ecstatic I've seen him over five times in concert but a Jewish performer in MSG is a different story unfortunately I had a family obligation that coincided with the concert and I knew it was important for me to attend it was painful but I had a mo it was for the best first of all I wish him and all of us this should be the worst thing he knows that this is not the wor he knows it it wasn't painful to miss my favorite performer in my hometown and hear from all my friends after the concert I received news that a large Jewish organization is providing unbelievable benefits toim exactly like myself things like a private Sho concert free Farm free Grocery stip and so much more the one catch you had to be at the concert I was crushed these stiens would have been a huge game changer for both me and my fiance who are leaving our jobs and so much of our Lives to fulfill our dream of Aliyah I had a decision to make I sit out I'd sit there stressed confused hurt by what happened or i' look to smile and laugh about this I focused on the good and realized that despite not getting the extra benefits is so much easier than ever thanks to nees F and a whole slew of Jewish organizations instead of getting these valuable benefits on an amazing concert I got something way more valuable reinforced amuna thank you for your amazing podcast let you shine Blah Blah Blah by the author of the email so first of all we've got to get this Tio that we can do we know somebody who knows him we also got to get him these benefits so it was B AA I think who gave it out at the concert B AA hosted the concert if you're listening B AA if you know somebody if you're on the board of B AA and even though our friend couldn't make the concert but he became religious he's making Aliyah he gave up his job and he could use these benefits let's get him the benefits and let's let his email go from I got something even more valuable amuna to getting also with the increased let's also getting the benefits wouldn't that be amazing okay page T you ready for this something we do every year on suus but you're going to do it differently this year and every year forward from now on and I love this piece because this piece is consistent with our amuna which of course we tell amuna stories that are wonderful and it worked out and it was amazing and hashem's plan and it was but also when it doesn't and also when it isn't and also when it hasn't yet if anyone wants a copy there are more trees that died when you say so whether it's when you're saying or you take the on your own the great great cabalist Mystic we know that when we take the we hold the four species together the they represent four types of Jew the one that has the positive scent and the positive flavor the one that has one not the other one that has neither all four combination we hold them together because all Jews belong a you have to bind them together have to be bound together because the Jewish Community has to be bound together we don't have that are just my flavor just my species just who I want you have to bind it together all the eight Min have to come together we shake the lul we all unite we all integrate we're all one Community we have to have a sense of unity and the four species also represent four parts of a Jew spoke about the sh too the med the lul is the spine and the esrog is the heart and the Aros are the lips and Hadas are the eyes how many hadasim are there three and yet we have two eyes why so we spoke in Shabba because there's an eye that's in your head the eye of the imagination the eye of vision the eye of dreaming the eye of picturing the eye of being the eye of living with your future self future self who says don't don't eat that future self who says turn it off and go to sleep I promise you you need it you'll want to you don't want to suffer the opposite the the future you who says don't lose your temper don't scream don't lose your cool you're going to damage the relationship the future you who says take your yish K seriously don't have a Judaism that's at a 10 old level let it grow let it develop let it mature so the future self that eye that third eye so the AR's custom was when you take the lul in Hal you shake the lul in all directions in front of you to the right of you behind you to the left of you above and down below six directions all around we take the L we shake it in every direction and when do we do it during what do those words mean I give thanks than to you Hashem because it's all good is it all good so we spoken about this countless times in the shocking that you keep coming back but kov is the Great Expression right it's a very like yes answer how you doing it's all good it's not all good it's not all good what do you mean it's all good people are going through difficult painful struggle suffering and the answer is it's all good the answer is it's all good it's all good because it's from Hashem it's it's all good and all painful it could be how's it going it's all good it's all miserably painful that's not a contradiction bad things don't happen to good people painful things happen to good people it can be all good because it's the will of Hashem it's all good even if it's painful it's still good so we say thank you hasem because it's all good first of all that's the low level the higher level isto it's all good what's the Tove to a good eye means you see the good good in everyone and everything you see the good all around you I'm alive I'm breathing my faculties work have a roof over my head there are good things that are still happening even if there are others that are painful so I focus on and I count and I look at and I'm mindful of the good I've been saying this for years repeating it from others but you know I get a text every now and then RAB Leo spoke in my Yeshiva Leo spoke in my Seminary Leo spoke in mod and he doesn't quote me he quotes who we quote but through me and he when he says it he says how can you find happiness even after one's wife and two children are brutally murdered he says because I count my children who are still with me and I look at the good of the years that I had the people I've lost and I'm focusing on the good and by focusing and being Mindful and being positive that's outrageous when he says it that's a whole other level and I'm not Jud we're not judging anyone who doesn't feel they're in a place or a perspective to say itom would never judge such a person but it's a whole other level of and then in if you're shaking a little when is the next time you shake it you shake it those four sentences and then again at the end of we we shake it again and then again at the end of the third time we shake is we repeat that again so we shake it again then now I always thought my whole life why are we shaking love during those words what do those words mean we're saying Hashem in every direction there's good in front of me there to the right of me this behind me this to the left of me above me below there's such good everywhere everywhere I turn everywhere I look I can focus and count what I have there's good is that which should be grateful for gratitude is a decision not an emotion and gratitude is based on what I have right happiness is not from what I want happiness is from what I have if I count what I'll have I'll always be happy my happiness is defined by what I don't have yet I'll never be happy because there's always something I don't yet have so I always thought my shaking the each Direction isem in front of me there are things that are yet to happen they're going to be so good behind me look at where I come from look at everything I it's good to the right to the left of me above me below me it's all good listen to what says it's gonna change your suus forever he says that's not the cavana you know what the cavana is you're shaking the lul in all directions you know what the cavana is I'm the lul my spine my heart my eyes my lips I'm being rattled I'm being frazzled I feel shaken the world is throwing things at me and I'm shaking I'm trembling I'm rattled I'm I'm All Shook Up and a person feels The Winds of this world the challenges and the hardship the difficulty it's just throwing me around it's just throwing me like the like right and left and up and down and forward and backwards I just feel so rattled and you say even while I'm being shaken even while I'm rattled even while I'm frazz L even while I feel like I'm just being thrown in every direction the whole image of the lul love in every direction is I feel like I'm being thrown in so many different directions the sandwich generation people taking care of their parents and their children at the same time it's a lot of people and it's underrated and underestimated how difficult it is to be in the sandwich generation to be caring for aging parents and be the responsible party for aging parents and at the same time small kids small problems big kids big problems to be taken care of kids you're just being thrown in a million directions do I run to take care of my parents do I run to take care of my child do I ever take care of myself how do I earn a living to take care of the parents and the children and myself just as one example at work it's difficult at home there's struggles person can feel every direction everywhere I go I'm being thrown around I'm being rattled and fr L I'm just being thrown in every direction everywhere I look professionally personally my parents my children outside my home inside my home wherever I go I'm being rattled and frazzled and I'm being thrown around like the Lula V estrog my spine my heart my eyes my lips the dad me together are me and I'm shaking them in every direction because that's how I feel that's how I incredible to G's Insight this year because that's how I feel I'm being thrown in every direction and all I want like yova just like put down the lul anog and let it rest I just want to rest can't you just put the lul an ESR down and just let me be you know in the backyard AEM under the palm tree next to the pool I have a sha Lounge just put the lul love the estrog right next to it Adas Aros next to the lul love put a pina colada maybe if you allow yourself a nice good cupin cigar just right there glass of wine just put the little an estrog on the lounge chair under the palm tree next to the pool that's what I want that's where I want to be M the Mitzvah okay even better in the Suka put a lounge chair in the Suka a couch in the Suka Hashem just put down the lul just can't I just breathe can I just be can I just have calm yov wanted that he was like I went through a lot you I had to run for my life from my brother then I had to live with love on then to switch was pulled on me and then I just be can I just retire and sit in the retire col and learn all day I just want to relax I just want some peace and quiet and peace of mind and serenity can't I have one day Hashem can't be there one day where there's no crisis one day one day where the phone won't ring with someone with some crisis a parent a child a sibling a neighbor a friend a Community member the electric company my boss my can I just have one day okay one day but that's not the way the world is that's not what Hashem responded to yov and it's not the way Hashem responds to us we desperately want that that's the posture we wish we had and we wish we could take but it's not it instead how is our life so often too often how do we feel just every direction you're just shaking me in every direction everywhere I turn Everywhere I Go Everywhere I look every experience I have I feel shaken in every every single Direction and says gel who suffers from six or eight different diagnoses and ailments and you never saw such a little excited enthusiastic energized incredible man in your life when his shamish listed off all of his ailments and limitations and pains and chronic problems and struggles but you would never know any of them because he doesn't wear one of them on his face it's a huge smile and I love you only three words he knows in English and the hug and the energy and he lives his life like a little all year long he's shaking he's just bouncing up and down his energy he's just all over the room all over the people because person has to make a on the good on the bad because it's all good it's all from hasem We don't understand it it's yet unrealized good it's all good it's good and it feels good it's good and it feels unbearably painful it's all good but it's good that feels good and it's good that feels unbearably painful in any direction you might feel you're forward you're backwards you're right you're left you're up you're down we do that because however you feel you're being thrown whichever direction you're being rattled whichever direction you're shaking right now it's all from Hashem that's the statement that's the affirmation that's the meditation it's a meditation we unfortunately sometimes don't think of it that way we think of it as I just got to get it done checkbox Lula vaness check it's back in the box in the bag not broken the pitum still on it the top is still good that's all I care about check it's the kosher good but that's not what supposed to be it's not what Su is supposed to be Judaism is a meditation it's a meditation it's close your eyes ground and Center yourself enter some pemus think about the deeper meaning of what you're doing shut out everything else that's happening and for a moment be moved by what you're going to experience take that L van esrog make that braa hold it upside down make the braa turn it right side up and then say huem key say that sentence whether you're saying it in which mostly men have the during D are doing it during Hal and if you're not doing it during Hal the woman's taking the do minim volunteering to take the do minim still say that sentence say it with hashem's name we're straight all the other words adds up as a direction for each one Hashem thrown in this way I'm thrown this way I'm thrown this this way thrown this way however I'm thrown you're with me however I'm thrown I surrender to you however I'm thrown I feel you by my side whatever way I'm thrown whatever life will throw me today that I expect or don't expect that I know or I don't know is coming because I know you're good it's realized good or it's unrealized good it's sweet joyous good or it's painful unbearably good but I know either way it's from you and it's good we also shake when we get to the words Hashem save me Anna not enough words so we have to Anna Hashem save me first we say whatever Direction I'm being thrown in I know it's from you I know it's for the good even if it's painful right now and I recognize it's from you good now that I did that now I go now that I said that now that I believe that could you help me get out of that I know whatever is happening it's from you it's for a reason it's for a purpose it's not random it's not chance it's carefully curated and choreograph from above I know that and I'm demonstrating that and I'm actually showing that but now that I've affirmed that now that I've meditated on that you mind getting me out of that get me out of that which is one of the things a lot of our emailers share with us when you apply amuna you sayem I'm throwing all my problems on you lighten my burden Hashem I know whatever's happening right now it's not random it's not chance it's from you it's from above but Hashem with that now that I know and I believe it's from you get me out of it give me the strength to get through it show me the path how to get out of this it's from you I know you're the source and I know it's for a reason I know it's for good but now that I've acknowledged that and now that I affirm that now get me out of that that's exactly what we're doing with the lul so shake it twice even if you're not doing it during Hal if you're doing it at home you're doing it in your Suka you're doing it before daving you're doing it after daving once every direction whichever way I'm being thrown I know it's from you because everything from you is and then a second time whichever direction I'm being thrown get me out of it and then we come full circle just like our is made up of three parts first praise then our requests then gratitude so Direction This praise it's all from you then save me and then gratitude so it's the sandwich thank you in the beginning and thank you in the end it's all from you and you're all good and I see the good in everything in the beginning and the end and in the middle Hashem help me Hashem get me out of this so shaking the Lula becomes an allog together different exercise it's an all together different experience it's not a check mark sh too many homes you grow up right each of the kids you take sh did you do it yet you're running out of time why didn't you do it yet go take it you got to take it's not that's not that's not our attitude it's not our posture that shouldn't be our experience did you take it did you do it check no check did you break it did you put it back were you careful it's okay let's take it now family friends here's the kavana here's the Cav everybody and if you're in sh you have hundreds of men holding their love women if you want bring a dollar me volunteer do the MIT during Hollow to and you see it's amazing one year I gave AA and I described the N of the original flash mob it's already out of style you remember when flash mobs were like like the in thing right like in some public place all of a sudden one person would dance and then everybody choreographed and planned it and then everyone would you know remember flash mobs so Nan were the original flash mob the whole Shu Cory everyone together it's an amazing thing if you're not among them you've already D and you're just watching and you see hundreds of people in sync should be a new Olympic event we get the gold every time Jews lul love right what do they call it synchronized swimming synchronized nanu we' get the gold every time but it's amazing but it shouldn't just be everybody's doing it like don't poke the guy in front of you in the back of the head don't poke the it should be there's a cavana right I feel I feel rattled all over the SCH people struggling suffering navigating challenging times whatever Direction I'm being rattled whatever Direction I feel I'm being thrown whatever Direction I'm frustrated and struggling it's all because everything you do is the realized good and the yet unrealized good now I pause as a realist and I say shake for that you know the thing in front of me and to the right of me to the left of me and behind me and above me and below me all those problems everywhere if you don't mind could you get me out of it if you don't mind could you give me the strength to get through it and then I come back to so it's a new kavana gave us a new kavana for suus this year for theim it's true not only if you're listening to this on sukus if Spotify made you listen to this in March it's also a very beautiful idea that every direction that we face and I hope it will enhance your sucus this year want to wish everyone a good and a good a good y should be a y all the cooking and all the work and all the building the Su and all the assembling live esog don't put in all that work and all that effort and then arrive as AATA we always give that on PES and it's true on PES it's true on sukus too sit in the Suka the Suka is the place of amuna su is the shade of sitting in the shade of hem we leave the protection of our homes we go expose ourselves to the elements and we sayem I'm sitting under your shade I'm feeling your Embrace every year in our it's given the them all the rebas that the Suka has to be made up of two walls and a little bit to be a Kosh Su you need two walls in a little bit why because your arm is one wall two wall and a little bit the Su is the hug of Hashem you go into the Su and he's giving you a hug shaking and fear and awe and consequence and now sukus is a hug come here let's hug it out let's hug it out let's hug it out sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I failed I failed I failed mistakes mistakes my mistakes and Hashem says we're all good we're all good you know you have that friend you said you're sorry but you still sense there's something a family member say are we all good they don't even have to say anything they just they say come here they give you a hug and as you heal he someone in the sh every time I see him he gives me a hug he says you have to be on this side why because your hearts have to be touching you have to feel the hearts beating against each other can't hug on this side you have to hug Charlie you have to hug on this side because your hearts have to be beating against each other that's a hug that's a hug so sukus is the arms Hashem says you sayem s Kipper little touch and go there wasn't really all in it didn't really pay attention to all of it came a little bit late I'm still pretty bitter and annoyed at you at certain things that you've done are we good he says come sit him in the Suka come come a hug your heart my heart let let them let them beat and sink let them beat and sink we're all good come let me give you a hug that's so so we should be Z to feel the hug we should be Z to reciprocate the hug should be Z to feel that we're all good with hasem he's all good with us we're all good with our family we're all good with our friends everybody's been m one another we're taking the four species all kinds of Jews and we're holding them together there's just Aus and love and good energy and good weather to be able to sit outside of the Suka should be a beautiful and a great y we'll see you on the other side for update on the schedule join the WhatsApp group make sure you're in the WhatsApp group for how you know the latest ISO song but be in the WhatsApp group for the schedule bonus material and so on have a great y of everyone stay happy stay healthy stay holy