Parshas Pinchas

After he is told that he will not lead Jewish People into the Promised Land, Moshe Rabbeinu asks Hashem to appoint someone to take his place. Hashem tells Moshe that Yehoshua will be the one to lead the Nation after he dies.

Just like Hashem would never abandon His nation and leave them without a leader, Hashem would never abandon any one of us. He already has the salvation in place before He gives us a challenge. We can strengthen ourselves with this truth by noticing that when we are going through something difficult, Hashem sends a messenger, someone to give us advice or support to help us get through that tough time.

May we be able to help our friends and neighbors when they are struggling and always stay strong in our faith that Hashem has a salvation ready for us before He sends any challenge our way!

Parshas Balak

Balak tried to get Bilam to curse the Jewish People but he was unsuccessful. After three times of trying, he realized that Hashem was the One controlling what came out of Bilam's mouth and he gave up. 

In life, there are many things we try to do. Sometimes they work out immediately and we see Hashem's hand. Other times, we keep trying and we aren't successful. We need to strengthen our emunah and remind ourselves that Hashem orchestrates every detail of our lives, from the words that come out of our mouths to the bigger results of our efforts. We should remember that everything that happens is for our ultimate benefit. 

May we be able to keep trying when things are rough and stay strong in our belief that everything Hashem does is for our good! 

Parshas Chukas

After Miriam was niftar, the Be'er Miriam dried up and the Jews complained that they were thirsty. Hashem told Moshe to speak to the rock but instead he hit it and water came forth.

When we want something from someone, we can speak gently and with kindness or speak harshly and use force. Using force might get us what we want, but not in the way we want. The person may give in, but their feelings towards us will change. The better way is to speak softly and with sensitivity. The person will be more receptive to what we are saying and this interaction will bring the person closer to us instead of create distance between us. 

May we be able to use a more gentle approach when speaking to those we care about so we can bring them closer to us with every interaction we have!

Parshas Korach

When Korach organized a rebellion against Moshe Rabbeinu, accusing him of assigning power unfairly, Moshe suggested that they wait until the next morning for a sign from Hashem to determine who was right. After each group would bring a ketores, a fire would come down from heaven and burn the offering of the either his group or Moshe's group. He wanted to wait so Korach would have time to think and hopefully, he would change his mind.

We see how important it is to wait a little bit when someone is angry. A good resolution can't always be reached immediately because when people are heated, their emotions take over. Once some time passes, even just one night, it may be possible for both sides to hear each other more openly and logically and work towards a peaceful compromise. 

May we be able to give people who are really angry time to calm down so we can keep all of our interactions peaceful!