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Eternal Truth. The Truth of Torah. Chofetz Chaim - Guarding your tongue. Ethics of the Fathers - Pirkei Avot. Proverbs of King Solomon. Psalms of King David. Breslov and Chabad Hasidus. MUST READ!!!! - ( http://www.breslov.org/torah/pdf/Advice.PDF ) .. width="425" height="355" ....l2) Wisdom is the root of all things (Psalms 104:24) One should always guard one's mind against false ideologies. The only way to achieve fulfillment in life is through the pursuit of genuine wisdom, namely the wisdom of Torah, which is concerned with Godliness. Compared with this all other systems of ideology are sheer emptiness, they have nothing to do with wisdom at all (35:1).4) This is why a person has to be so careful to guard his mind and his thoughts and make sure that he never admits alien ideas or ways of looking at things. All our problems and defects and sins come from abusing the sanctity of the mind, God forbid, by admitting alien thoughts and ideologies. To achieve true repentance and to make amends for all one's sins, one must cleanse the mind of all these alien ideas. Wisdom and intelligence actually are the soul. By clearing the mind of alien ideologies the faculty of thought is elevated to its source. This is the essence of returning to God (Ibid.).Jewish Messages of Inspiration and FaithJewish Praising and Thanking G-d and longing from the Soul. "Don't instigate arguments and fights by insulting or blaming anyone; in this manner you will avoid turning a perfectly good day into a sour one.""People suffer because they don't accept the reality of Hashem. In addition, lack of emuna, depression and despair are all rooted in arrogance. Here's how. A person without emuna is in either a state of arrogance or depression. In good times, when he is succeeding, he declares arrogantly, "My talents, power and brains are to thank.” But the minute things get tough, he falls into depression and despair. He feels that the me or I or self let him down.One must learn that success is a result of Hashem's loving kindness and that when thing's don't succeed, it's because our arrogance and ego are getting in the way. Hashem makes one fail so that he will put his ego aside, seek His help, and develop his emuna. Hashem wants us to develop emuna because a person with emuna is always happy and on an even keel. We earn eternal happiness only by way of emuna. When we see Hashem's greatness and our nothingness, we begin to live with emuna, the reality of Hashem.""where do sins come from? They come from a lack of understanding. "A man does not sin unless a spirit of folly has entered into him" (Gemora Sotah 3a)" "A person's transgressions cause him to deny (G-d's existence)." (Above) "For the first time in history, a major Chassidic rebbe addresses the web-viewing audience with blessings and a messaage for Shavuot"a song i like

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"B''H ;) " God asks for the heart." THIS page is about Inner Peace & Living by Truth. We don't know anything and we Don't need to know everything, the world doesn't end with our minds, we don't deserve anything either and we can't expect anything from anyone. We certainly may not insult anyone nor become angry.(unless you want to be reincarnated into a terribly worse life..) we live with artificial happiness and plastic lifestyles and lack true inner peace and satisfaction. Below are lessons from the Tzaddikim of the Jewish People. We need to settle our mind first to learn them (to help settle my mind, i enjoy imagining my mind laughing at me). (below is writing i've chosen from trusted and useful sources of truth. Bear with me for now because it's all scattered around..) Baruch Ha-Shem for showing us the way.. here are also some very great websites to visit which are well-worth your time. Best always to everyone in blessed guidance, tranquility, and mental clarity in 5768... -Reuven aka roma www.azamra.org/essential.shtml (Writings by the great Doctor of the SOUL Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, www.breslovworld.com (Phenomenal Website with so many great articles!) www.chabad.org, www.lazerbrody.net (LOVE this blogsite by Rav -Rabbi- Lazer Brody)and www.aish.com (has an assortment of good things)www.simpletoremember.com is noteworthy as well. we start here..below is from the azamra.org website about becoming happier! Enjoy! You - Yes You - are a Precious and Beloved Beautiful Son/Daughter of the King. :D*************Be-Ezrat HaShem***********Join the fight against depression!8 SIMPLE WAYS TO MAKE THE WORLD HAPPIER"Nothing is more damaging than depression. Depression is the cause of all kinds of ills, including sickness and disease. When you are happy, come what may, you are free. Your mind will be settled and you will understand things clearly. Try to turn your very depression and worry into joy. If you really set your mind to it you will find that even amidst the worst troubles and suffering there is an opening you can use to convert all the depression into joy." 1. Smile. Most people are full of pain and worry and all kinds of troubles. But when you come to them with a smiling face, you can literally give them life. 2. Make it a habit always to sing a happy song. It will send joy into your soul. 3. Judge others favorably. You may see much that is bad in them. Still, search out their good points. 4. Judge yourself favorably. Sift through for your good points and take joy in them. 5. Don't despair. If you believe you can damage, believe you can repair. 6. Ask God to help you understand why you came into this world and how you can fulfill your purpose. 7. Give some charity. Charity brings peace. 8. Tell the truth. Truth brings peace. "And know that in life one has to pass over a very narrow bridge. The main thing is not to be afraid."REBBE NACHMAN OF BRESLOV***MARITAL PEACE:Let's talk about the most important element in serving Hashem and in marital success - gratitude. WHEN A HUSBAND REALIZES THAT HASHEM SPEAKS TO HIM BY WAY OF HIS WIFE, On the contrary, he bends an ear in effort to understand the Divine message that is clothed within the wife's complaints. A husband with emuna NEVER reaches a point that his wife wants him out of the house.The INSENSITIVE AND UNRECEPTIVE husband that had always ignored or dismissed his wife's complaints will also have a hard time accepting the role of an ejected husband with proper faith.-A MAN HAS NO RIGHT TO INSULT ANYONE--A MAN MUST HONOR HIS WIFE MORE THAN HIMSELF ALWAYS--A MAN MUST CHERISH HIS WIFE WITH HIS WHOLE BEING ALWAYS--A MAN HAS NO RIGHT TO CRITICIZE HIS WIFE FOR ANYTHING-Who, Me?Sometimes a husband sincerely feels that he's behaving fine at home, contributing his part to the family and acting responsibly. He therefore can't fathom why his wife is so peeved with him. One should know – IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOU THINK OF YOURSELF; what your wife thinks of you is what counts! A husband's task is to please his wife and to KEEP her HAPPY...I've never ever seen criticism help a person reinforce faith or strengthen emotions. Don't critize yourselfves either.Continue reading here at the wonderful world of BreslovWorld.com thanks to the EMUNAH OUTREACH Production crew in Bet Shemesh, we have another 25-minute segment of our March 13, 2007 talk at the Carlebach Shul in Ramat Bet Shemesh. The overall shiur was entitled "Rejewvenuting Your Marriage", and we spoke about cleaning the worst type of chametz before Pesach, the anger and arrogance in our hearts. This particular segment focuses on shalom bayit, or peace in the home. Husbands - Do you know what your wife wants more than anything? You'll find the answer in the above clip. Enjoy!G-d willing, I'll be posting humorous pictures for Purim, but the above picture isn't one of them.I love the above picture; it has a beautiful message. The husband has a terrible deficiency, a missing wheel. Logically, it's impossible for him to function. But, the good woman at his side makes the impossible possible - she compensates for all his setbacks. This particular farmer-husband realizes that, and that's why he's smiling at us.Now, imagine a husband that doesn't realize that HIS WIFE IS THE GREATEST GIFT HASHEM GIVES HIM. If that were the case with the above couple, the husband might be depressed and grouchy, upset that his wife is so fat, having forgotten to look at himself in the mirror. If he'd harbor fantasies about the empty-headed, immodestly-clad sex objects that the Yetzer flashes on the TV SCREEN, he'd be miserable and grounded.On the other side of the coin, many women also harbor fantasies. They think that some muscle macho or soap opera entrepeneur is better than their own good man. They don't stand behind their man like the good woman in the above photo, so they're grounded too.Unfortunately, MANY DISSATISFIED COUPLES HAVE HEADS FULL OF FANTASY Land. With butterflies on the brain, no husband or wife can appreciate their spouse or their lot in life. With EMUNA, ONE APPRECIATES both.There's no need to be unhappily married! Maybe you don't realize it, but your spouse is also your perfect mate. ** The Radiant Home: The Good Listener. I couldn't help but overhear two of my rabbinical students reviewing a point in Talmudic Law:The first student pounded the table with his fist. "The RAMBAM states that such an action is permissible!""Wrong," yelled his chevruta (learning partner), "Rashi expressly forbids such an act!""Are you daft?" shouted the first student."At least I'm not blind," sneered his chevruta.In reality, both were correct, except that Rashi and the Rambam were talking about two different cases. If the two learning partners would have made a little more effort in listening to one another, then they could have channeled the energy that they wasted on shouting into better understanding their studies and each other.Not surprisingly, both of the abovementioned students came to me with marital difficulties during the same year that they learned in our kollel (married students' rabbinical seminary). Rebbe Nachman of Breslov says (Sefer HaMidot, Arrogance, 14) that ARROGANCE SEALS A PERSON'S HEART. In other words, self-centered people aren't aware of other people's feelings, for a self-centered person's heart is closed to the words of his or her fellow human.An ARROGANT person is a poor listener. A poor listener can't possibly enjoy a happy marriage and a gratifying home.* * * Whose Ear Does Your Wife Seek?In counseling married couples with shalom bayit (marital harmony) issues, I always insisted on rigid ground rules to prevent the counseling session from turning into a free-for-all brawl. If simple games like tennis or golf require a set of guidelines, then intricate relations between two people that are inherent opposites certainly need a basic set of rules. If the players or partners ignore the rules, then the game stops.A productive and effective counseling session must assure that the couple breaks the vicious cycle of misunderstanding, the public enemy number-one to shalom bayit. The following six stages constitute a solid and orderly framework for a counseling session that will teach a husband and wife to listen to one another (once they learn to listen to each other, eighty percent of their problems fall by the wayside): The wife is the mirror image of the husband-A woman wants to feel that her mate is her best friend, a father, a mother, and a confidant all rolled into one. She needs the security that she'll be loved and accepted no matter what she does. She feels calm in knowing that even if she makes a mistake, he won't criticize her. She certainly doesn't need the type of husband that acts like the state's witness – when she tells him her troubles, he points an accusing finger at her, blames her, and belittles her. Soon, she won't share her thoughts with him and their lines of communication will be severed; he can only blame himself for the subsequent crisis that will surely arise.Caution – as long as a wife seeks the ear of a girlfriend, it's a warning sign that she can't pour her heart out to her husband. As long as she needs the constant backing and encouragement of her parents, it's a warning sign that she doesn't get enough love and support from her husband. As long as she spends hours on the telephone, it's a warning sign that she lacks an attentive and receptive ear from her husband.Read Part 4 of "Separation: Putting out the Fire" here at BreslovWorld's superb English-language sitePeople frequently ask me, "What was Rebbe Nachman of Breslov's secret in life?" More specifically, they often ask, "What was Rebbe Nachman's key to peace in the home?"One answer suffices for both of the above questions: Rebbe Nachman never budged an iota from Halacha, or Jewish Law.An automobile dealership tells new-car owners that their 5 year/ 50,000 mile warranty is contingent upon fulfilling all the necessary maintenance steps as prescribed in the owner's manual. The owner's manual was written by the manufacturer's chief engineer, who knows better than anyone else what's good for the car, because he designed it! So, if he instructs the new owner to use 10/40 motor oil in the car's engine, yet the new owner wants to save money and fills the engine with Mazola Corn Oil that he bought on sale at the local supermarket, then he can forget about his warranty. The new car's wrecked engine will be the negligent owner's responsibility, not the manufacturer's.Hashem is the Designer and Chief Engineer of creation. If the human soul is one of Hashem's most intricate creations, then strict adherence to the Designer and Chief Engineer's instructions is mandatory for the soul's health and happiness, in other words, for its proper functioning. The more sophisticated a creation is the more critical one must operate according to the owner's manual. For example, one must be far more exacting in maintaining a $50 million jet aircraft than in maintaining a goat. The slightest mistake in tuning a supersonic aircraft could be fatal; its fuel, for example, must be highly refined and filtered. Yet, one doesn't need to filter a goat's food; it eats literally anything - briars, thistles, husks, and peels.The human soul is far more sophisticated than an F-16. To operate efficiently, the soul must be activated according to its owner's manual - the Torah. Since Halacha is the practical synopsis of Torah, it is the prerequisite for emotional, spiritual, and physical health.If the human soul is one of Hashem's most sophisticated creations, then the union of two souls in marriage is the most sophisticated creation. The slightest deviation of our sages' instructions for maintaining a healthy, fruitful relationship and a home that radiates with peace, joy, and love will unfortunately yield the opposite effect.SPIRITUAL AWARENESS*** Spritual Awareness: How Do I Know If I Have It?By Rabbi Lazer Brody (An excerpt from "The Trail to Tranquility") The more a person trusts in God, the more he or she acquires true courage, calm, and inner security. Since courage indicates proximity to The Almighty, it's a good indicator of spiritual awareness. How do I know if I have spiritual awareness? This is a question that every truth-seeker asks, both at the outset of his spiritual journey and for the rest of his days. Spiritual hunger is literally insatiable, for Shlomo Hamelech (King Solomon) once said (Koheles 6:7), "The soul is never satiated". The more a person gains spiritual awareness, the more spirituality he or she desires. Since spirituality knows no confines, there are infinite levels of spiritual awareness. The following eight parameters are a good diagnostic test of a person's spiritual gain, both for beginners and for advanced truth seekers. Parameter one: Courage, calm, and inner security. The more a person worries, the more he or she drifts away from God, since a worrier lacks trust in God. Conversely, the more a person trusts in God, the more he or she acquires true courage, calm, and inner security. Since courage indicates proximity to The Almighty, it's a good indicator of spiritual awareness. Courage doesn't mean confronting an enemy tank battalion single-handed; it means steadfastly doing what's right with no trepidation, even at the expense of constant ridicule from others. Courage also means going with the truth wherever it takes you. A courageous person's eyes focus on his or her spiritual goals, and not on peer pressure or social pressure. For example, if a 250-pound linebacker from the first-string football team sits down to a meal with his teammates, and is ashamed to say a blessing in front of them when he knows he should, he's a coward despite his twenty-four-inch biceps. Yet, when a fifteen-year-old young lady decides to dress modestly, even at the expense of ridicule or a loss of popularity among her classmates, she exhibits spiritual awareness - the type of courage that signifies closeness with God. The more a person gains spiritual awareness, the more he or she realizes their dependence on God. Since The Almighty's strength and abilities are unlimited, one who depends on Him doesn't ever have to worry. For example, a person with a high level of spiritual awareness knows that his or her livelihood comes from God; no tyrannical employer can ever intimidate such a person. People with spiritual awareness have a good feeling of inner security. They know that if they lose their job, The Almighty has plenty of additional messengers who'll give them a new job. Someone who lacks such understanding worries every time the boss frowns at him, or every time the economic news reports of a recession. Increased inner strength to do what we believe is right is a sign of spiritual gain. The more we cultivate the spiritual side of our lives, the more we gain courage, calm, and inner security. Parameter two: Happiness. Happiness goes together with courage. Just as the divine soul is within a person, true happiness is also within a person, and is independent of outside factors. The more a person nurtures his relationship with The Almighty, the closer he comes to true happiness. We often fool ourselves with illusions of happiness, such as: * "I would really be happy if my husband made more money". * "I'd be the happiest guy in the world if I could only get accepted to law school". * "Boy, would a new Harley make me happy!" * "If Johnny proposes to me, I'll be the happiest girl on campus!" All four of the above characters are seriously misleading themselves. The first lady, whose "happiness" depends on a raise of her husband's salary, will never be happy, no matter how much her husband earns. Who's to say that the second, the student, wouldn't be a miserable failure as a lawyer? As for the third, maybe The Almighty refuses to give him a new Harley, in order to save him from a 100 mile-per-hour motorcycle spill. With today's divorce statistics, chances are 50:50 that the young lady in the fourth example and her Johnny will end up in divorce proceedings within the next five years. That's happiness? Genuine happiness comes from within. A truly happy individual is one who is contented with his lot in life. Positive thinkers focus on the blessings in life, and regard life's difficulties as opportunities for personal growth. Rabbi Joseph Chaim Sonnenfeld of blessed memory was the head Rabbi of Jerusalem in the early twentieth century, a pious scholar of impeccable character. One morning, he walked through the Arab market on the way to the holy Western Wall. A young prankster, an Arab vegetable vender's helper, threw a tomato at him, which splattered all over his face. The rabbi turned to him, and said politely in Arabic, "Shukran, hawadja", thank you, sir. The lanky young Arab was amazed at the elderly Jew's reaction. "Why are you thanking me?" Rabbi Zonnenfeld answered, "You could have thrown a rock at me; it was only a tomato - thank you very much." The Rabbi Sonnenfeld anecdote teaches that outside influences don't affect genuine inner happiness. Since happiness depends on true proximity to God, if you're not happy, you need to make some spiritual improvements to your life. If you've already started, and you're happier than you were last week, then you're making progress on the road to spiritual awareness. Parameter three: Peace, both internal and external, the opposite of anger. Peace is directly related to spiritual awareness, since arguments, anger, and cruelty stem from a lack of spiritual awareness. The more we gain spiritual awareness, the more sympathy, compassion, and peace prevail in our lives. The above anecdote about Rabbi Sonnenfeld applies here as well. A person with spiritual awareness realizes that nothing can occur in the world without God's agreement. Rabbi Zonnenfeld felt no anger toward the vegetable vender's helper; he knew that a heavenly decree dictated that today, a tomato must splatter on his face. Therefore, he made no effort to retaliate, nor did he utilize his spiritual power for a bad cause, such as cursing the prankster. Rabbi Zonnenfeld did better than turning a cheek - he preserved the peace. After the vegetable vendor's helper realized that he had degraded a righteous man, he became the rabbi's close friend, and would personally escort the rabbi whenever the latter traversed the Arab market. An increase in spiritual awareness leads to a decrease in dissension-causing emotions such as anger, jealousy, and revenge. When we defuse the anger, jealousy, and revenge within us, we preserve the peace all around us. As such, spiritual awareness is the number one genuine peacemaker in the world. When negative emotions weaken, positive emotions strengthen. The tremendous mental benefit of spiritual awareness leads to a higher level of patience and tolerance and a consequently much lower level of anger and impatience. One of the best litmus tests of spiritual awareness is the peace of your immediate environment. If your home, your marriage, and your place of employment are more peaceful than they used to be, then you can take pride in your achievements, because you're fast gaining spiritual awareness. If the outside world hasn't changed, but you feel less negative emotions, you're still doing an outstanding job. Keep up the good work. Parameter four: Improved physical and mental health. Negative emotions take a serious toll on our mental and physical health. Feelings of worry, anger, jagged nerves, hate, and revenge lead directly to cardiovascular problems, digestive problems, lack of sleep, reduced concentration, and severe headaches, just to name a few. Negative emotions cause a long list of indirect problems, such as the physical and mental damages incurred by the consumption of alcohol, tobacco, and drugs, the substances that people use for a temporary, artificial sensation of feeling good. Thousands of years ago, our Sages taught that spiritual awareness heals. Today, any heart specialist will tell you that emotional stress, worry, and especially anger take their toll on the heart. Via spiritual awareness, we alleviate these negative emotions, and consequently strengthen the heart. Spiritual awareness reduces negative emotions, and therefore lessens the chances of emotionally related diseases such as ulcers, asthma, blood disorders, and miscarriages. Once you feel a general improvement in your overall vitality - the old twitch in your left eye disappears, you know longer feel the knot in your diaphragm, or you suffer a lot less from headaches - you're making great headway toward spiritual awareness. Parameter five: Body - soul priorities. Another rule of thumb states that the more a person has spiritual awareness, the more his soul takes priority over his body. People who favor their bodily appetites over their spiritual needs are totally tied to the material world and devoid of spiritual awareness. A person with a refined and developed mind loses animal appetites in favor of an insatiable appetite for spiritual awareness and the knowledge of God. For such a person, there's no difference between this world and the next. Why? The privileged souls who earn a portion in the world to come spend their time basking in the Divine light of the Heavenly Presence, which is none other than a sublime spiritual experience of boundless wisdom and understanding which surpasses all worldly pleasures. When you think about God in this world, you approach the spiritual bliss of the world to come. Self-purification of bodily urges and of base inclinations is conducive to attaining spiritual wisdom and understanding. Therefore, if a person gives highest priority in this world to spiritual growth, then the material world becomes for him or her almost as tranquil as the spiritual world of afterlife. Such a person never dies - his soul simply deposits its physical shell in the grave and then ascends to its rightful position in the spiritual world. On the other hand, those whose entire lives are devoted to the body, lose everything at death. With an undeveloped soul, nothing remains after the body decays in the grave but sorrow and eternal regret. When you find yourself thinking more about your soul and less about your next meal, you're gaining spiritual awareness. Parameter six: Giving - receiving priorities. Charity leads to improved spiritual awareness, as follows: Giving comes from the side of holiness, for God only gives, He never receives. Therefore, when you give, you act in a Godly fashion, and thereby attach yourself to holiness. The more one is attached to holiness, the more one gains spiritual awareness, and vice versa. Parasites, on the other hand, and those who take from others, come from the evil side, the opposite of holiness. The above explanation is the key to any successful interpersonal relationship, especially marriage. When both sides ask, "What can I contribute to the relationship", they both become givers. Holiness prevails in such a relationship, assuring lasting success. When both sides have expectations of receiving from the other side, the relationship is a disaster, devoid of holiness, doomed to chaos and strife. True peace goes together with holiness. Evil and strife are husband and wife. The more you gain spiritual awareness, the more you desire to do for others. Concern for others is the opposite of egotism. An egotist is a taker, interested in his or her own benefit, and therefore linked strongly to his evil inclination. Egotism is an iron curtain that separates a person from God. By giving to others, a person neutralizes those innate egotistic tendencies. People who give charity, who perform voluntary services for the community and for those less fortunate than themselves, and who are alert to the needs of others, achieve high levels of spiritual awareness. Rebbe Moshe Leib of Sassov, Ukraine (1745-1807), one of the great Chassidic masters of his time, devoted his life to increasing his capacity of spiritual awareness. Once, he overheard the following dialogue between two Ukrainian peasants, who met each other in the marketplace: "Ah Sergey, I'm so happy to see you!" "Do you really mean that, Alexis?" "Of course I do, Sergey. You are my dearest friend. I love you more than a brother." "If you love me so much, Alexis, then tell me what my needs are!" Rebbe Moshe Leib testified that the above dialogue taught him an amazing lesson in life: Real charity means giving according to the needs of the receiver, and not according to the desires of the giver. Also, true love means sensitivity to another person's needs. Such sensitivity comes from enhanced spiritual awareness. An old Hebrew expression says, "The tongue has no bone"; the connotation is that words easily roll off the tongue. People often tell each other, "I love you". Do they really mean it? Why doesn't the expression succeed in appeasing an irate spouse? The answer is simple: True love comes from spiritual awareness. A giver is tuned in to the needs of a fellow human, and especially to the needs of someone close, such as a husband or a wife. If both husband and wife can pass the "Ukrainian peasant" test, then their home is surely a Garden of Eden, a haven of spiritual awareness. To be continued… Influential speechSpeech without thought is like a body without a soul. A person who speaks without thinking utters empty words, and empty words don't have the power to cast a lasting impression on the listener's heart and brain. Therefore, if you want to influence others, it's a good idea to think before you speak.The Yetzer (EI) tries to make us speak impulsively. Usually, the result of impulsiveness is remorse. When we allow our brains to filter the words that reach our lips, we don't make mistakes.When someone asks you a question, you certainly have the right to pause for a moment, take a deep breath, contemplate your answer, and then say it. "I have to think about your question for a while," is always a legitimate answer.Other people's faultsOur sages tell a story about a family who was accustomed to finding faults in other people's lineage, saying that so-and-so was an illegitimate child, etc. When the local Dayanim (rabbinical judges) heard the slander, they investigated the gossiping family's background, and discovered that they were not only illegitimate themselves, but the descendants of slaves.Jewish law states (Shulchan Oruch, Even HaEzer 2:2) that a rabbinical court must be suspicious of one who finds a blemish in another person, namely, that the one who finds blemishes is indeed blemished in the same way. An old Hebrew expression says, Berosh haganav boer hakova, or the hat burns on the thief's head. In other words, dishonest people think that everyone is a crook.The Melitzer Rebbe told me that the a real tzaddik (righteous person) thinks the whole world is fine and dandy except for one person - himself.Monkey_and_mirror In practical terms, those who see faults in others are actually looking at themselves. So, if the other guy appears to be a chimpanzee, then we ought to buy ourselves a bunch of bananas and a bag of peanuts. The faults we see in others are those we need to correct in ourselves.A cloud here and thereSo many people crave comfort-zone lifestyles. Yet, you can't be a champion unless you break out of the comfort zone. In spirituality as well as in athletics, pain makes gain.The difficulties in each of our lives are all from Hashem's lovingkindness, to help as grow and realize our potential. Without the challenges that force us to develop and mobilize our capabilities to the hilt, we'd all probably wallow in the muck and mire of mediocrity. Hashem wants us to be our best, so He sends a cloud here and there to block the sunlight and clear skies.Karen_moen_sunset_3445 "Sunset", by Karen MoenSunsets would be boring without a few clouds. The clouds make the suns rays look spectacular.The periodic difficulties in our lives only make Hashem's salvations look more spectacular. When you think about it, rising to a major challenge really does make life more beautiful.