Acknowledge Your Greatness | Rabbi Shlomo Cynamon

Everybody in the world, in the Torah world, is looking to strengthen our Emunah. Emunah is the basis of everything that we're all looking to Shteig and grow in. But there's another point of Emunah. When the Alter of Slabodka was asked, what does he believe is the mission statement of his Yeshiva, the great Yeshiva of Slabodka, he said, The pasuk that we say in Ashrei. And the Alter said, The simple reading of the pasuk, the plain reading is for every person to know the greatness of Hashem. The Alter said: We can also read the pasuk, every person should know his power, his strength. Many of us have Emunah in Hashem, but we don't have Emunah in ourselves. The Alter said: The Yeshiva of Slabodka is to give people the Emunah in themselves. The great Ribnitzer Rebbe, I remember him on 15th Avenue in Boro Park. He used to wait and daven late, but he wanted to daven with a Minyan of people who didn't daven yet. And he had people waiting to daven with him. One night, it was 2:00 in the morning and there were only eight plus him. The Chasidim felt bad. They went out into the street in Boro Park and they saw a person in the street. They told him they need a Minyan for the Ribnitzer for Maariv, but somebody who didn't daven. This person really davened, but he wanted to really help the Ribnitzer. What are the Chasidim going to wait until much later? He said: No, I didn't daven. He came into the Shul and they called out the Rebbe. The Rebbe went up to the Amud and he started saying Shir HaMa’alos. Right in the middle of Shir HaMa’alos, uncharacteristically, he turned around. Did everybody not daven? Everyone was quiet. And he said it again: Did everybody not daven? This person had no choice. No, I davened. So the Ribnitzer Rebbe said: Sorry, we have to wait. Finally, they went outside. They found somebody who truly didn't daven, and he came in and he davened. Afterwards, the Ribnitzer Rebbe went over to this person, the first person, and he said: I really feel bad. I might have embarrassed you by calling you out and saying that you davened. The person said: No, the Rebbe gave me the greatest Chizuk! I always struggle, I daven. Is Hashem hearing my Tefillos? Is it getting registered in Himl, in Shomayim? And I always think: Meh, what is my Tefillah? Now I see the Rebbe was מרגיש, he felt the sentiment in Himl, in Shomayim, that my Tefillah was davened. That strengthens my davening. Now I know that in Himl, Ploni ben Ploni’s davening got registered. The Rebbe was Mechazek me. I said this over in the Shul, and someone told me he was in Sea Gate with him and he had almost the same exact story about a Levi, I don't want to be מאריך. This happened on numerous occasions. Every one of our Tefillos and every מעשים טובים that we do is registered in Himl. We have to have Emunah in ourselves. Every time we watch our eyes, every time we’re מונע ourselves from seeing something that we shouldn't see, every פעולה טובה, HaKadosh Baruch Hu gives us Rachamim, HaKadosh Baruch Hu gives us Schar. Let's all appreciate what we're doing, and that'll be the impetus, that'll be a catalyst to bring the ישועת השם בקרוב בימינו.