Emunah is a Process

Emunah is a Process

Update: 2025-10-24
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The Torah testifies that Noach was a צדיק תמים-completely righteous. He was a Navi who communicated directly with Hashem. He spent 120 years building the teva despite being ridiculed by everyone around him. He found חן-favor in the eyes of Hashem. Yet, despite all of this greatness, when the mabul began, it says that Noach did not immediately go into the teva. Chazal tell us it was because he had a small deficiency in his emunah. Even great people could have a lapse in emunah. It is an area that we have to constantly strengthen ourselves in because so many times it is tested. If a circumstance arises and we don't respond the way we think we should have, we shouldn't get depressed about it. Rather, we should think we're trying . It's a long process. Emunah is not easy, but b'ezrat Hashem, it's only going to get better. To have a rough day with emunah is very normal. The key is to grow from it, to come back later even stronger. Hashem is always with us, even when it doesn't seem that way. If we could remind ourselves, when we're going through the difficulty, and say, "Even this is from Hashem, and even this is for my good," it will help a lot. The sefer Ki Ata Imadi told a story about a man who we'll call Raphael who was on his way, with his son, to spend Shabbat with his rabbi in Yerushalayim . On Friday, they got on a bus anticipating a one hour drive. All of the seats on that bus were taken except for one. The man told his son he was going to take the seat, but then, the little boy who was sitting next to that open spot said he's saving it for his father who's getting on at the next stop. Raphael then became noticeably upset. He told the driver, "This is not right. There should be more buses and no saving seats." He got off the bus with his son, and he had to wait for the next one. The man who told over the story was on that bus. He said he knew Raphael as a man who always remained calm no matter what was going on. He never raised his voice. He was always able to accept everything b'emunah. Seeing him make that little outburst disturbed him. When this first bus was approaching Bet Shemesh, it broke down. Everyone on the bus had to get off and stand outside in the heat for a long time to wait for a new one. While they were standing there outside, they saw the next bus that Raphael got onto zoom right by them. The man telling the story said, "I saw Raphael and his son through one of the windows sitting peacefully on it." The second bus finally came and picked them up, and this man, who was telling the story, arrived very late in Yerushalayim . He quickly got ready for Shabbat and went to shul. When he walked into the shul he was surprised to see Raphael there, sipping tea and learning with his son. He immediately went over to him and said, "Look how much Hashem loves you. I was on that first bus. I saw what happened. I saw you get off. I just arrived now. We had to stand outside for a long time in the heat waiting for a new bus because ours broke down. You got on the right bus. You arrived with enough time to sit and learn with your son before Shabbat. Hashem helped you. He loves you." While he was saying this, he noticed a tear welling up in Raphael's eye. He wondered what he said that made Raphael so emotional. Then Raphael spoke up and said, "I want to tell you something. For many weeks now, I have been out of a job. My house is practically on empty. Whatever I try to do, I'm unsuccessful with. I feel like everyone is against me and whatever could go wrong always does. I decided maybe I needed to improve spiritually, so I asked my wife if I can go and spend Shabbat with my rabbi in Yerushalayim to get chizuk . I felt like I was finally doing something good and then, when I got on the bus to go, there wasn't even a seat for me. I felt like I was being turned away again. Even when I'm trying to do good I get pushed away? Even Hashem doesn't want me? That is when I got upset. I didn't want to think like that. I knew Hashem loved me. It just didn't seem that way. A short while ago, I turned to Hashem and I said, 'Hashem, please, if I'm wrong and You really do love me, please show me that You love me.' And now, you walk in and you say, 'Look how much Hashem loves you.' You can't believe how much you just helped me. Now I know I'm going to get through this with emunah. Thank you for the chizuk ." Hashem loves all of us. If we could recognize it during the trying times, we'll be able to stay strong in our emunah. And if we are ever weak in emunah, don't get down. Recover and get back up. Emunah is a long process and b'ezrat Hashem, we'll become great at it.
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Emunah is a Process

Emunah is a Process

Rabbi David Ashear