The Hebrew word ‘emet’ means to believe. When it comes to faith, we all have our own journey of discovering what it means to truly believe. The closer you look, the more there are layers of truth that need to be peeled back in order for a person to develop an understanding of what it really means – and takes some time – before you fully embrace the new belief system within yourself.
As a result, many people find it challenging to develop a close relationship with God on an ongoing basis and often feel as though persevering is their only hope if they want to see more positive results in their everyday life. However, developing emunah can help you do just that!
In this blog post, Rabbi Samuel Waldman, a religious educator with extensive experience, will explore 5 steps you can take that will help you cultivate Emunah and ultimately strengthen your relationship with God.
Step 1: Realize that you can’t change God
“You might have heard from others that you can change God. Or, you might have believed it yourself. But, it’s important to understand that this isn’t really the case. While we can all work on certain aspects of our relationship with God – such as our level of devotion, our willingness to forgive, or our ability to be more patient.
God himself can’t be changed or altered to suit our own purposes. He is who He is, and can’t be anything else. While it might be tempting to try and manipulate God into becoming “less severe” or “more forgiving”, you’ll just end up frustrated and confused if you try to do so. Instead, it’s up to you to embrace this divine truth and rely on it as a foundation to build your emunah on,” shares Rabbi Samuel Waldman.
Step 2: Identify the source of your faith
As it was stated by Rabbi Samuel Waldman: “Before you can develop a solid emunah, you need to first understand where it came from. If you simply try to force yourself to believe in something that you have no real connection to, then you’re going to fail.
So, what is it about the Hebrew Bible, the Christian faith, etc., that really resonates with you? When you really break down the core values and principles of your faith, do you notice that they have a lot to do with what is best for yourself and the people in your life? If you don’t really identify with the source of your faith at a very core level, then it won’t be easy for you to build a strong emunah. But, if you can get in touch with your own values, you’ll be one step closer to discovering why you truly believe.”
Step 3: Know that you’re never alone in your journey
“When you first decide to take on the journey of developing emunah, it can feel a bit daunting. After all, there are many different aspects to consider and many different ways to go about it. In this way, it can feel like a daunting process that requires a great deal of effort if you want to truly succeed. But, this has to be followed by the realization that you are never alone in your journey. Sure, there might be challenges that you’re going to have to face along the way. But, there will always be someone to support you, help you, and guide you if you need it. In other words, the journey of developing emunah isn’t just for you; it’s for your entire family and friends as well. So, you don’t have to do it alone. And, you don’t have to do it with just one person who doesn’t fully understand what you’re going through either. You can come out of this with a group of people who are willing to support you and help you grow,” says Rabbi Samuel Waldman, who influenced many hundreds of students for over twenty years though his religious teachings.”
Step 4: Put your trust into God
The forth step towards building Emunah, shared by Rabbi Samuel Waldman is: “As you’re developing your Emunah, you’ll encounter many different challenges and tests that will help you stretch your faith and develop a deeper connection with God. But, one of the most important aspects of your journey is to trust in God and his plan for your life.
You might be tempted to dwell on the negative aspects of your life or the challenges that you’re currently facing and try to use them as excuses to give up on developing your Emunah. But, you shouldn’t do this. Instead, you need to learn to trust God with all the aspects of your life, including the challenges you face today and those that you have yet to experience in your future. You need to trust God with your hopes and dreams, and trust that he’s the right person to bring them to fruition. And, you need to trust that he has a plan for you and your Emunah that is better than anything you could have ever imagined.”
Step 5: Stay connected to God throughout the day
“One of the biggest keys to developing a solid emunah is to make sure that you stay connected to God throughout the day. If you find that you are constantly losing your connection to God, then it might be helpful to go back to the steps in which you identify the source of your faith and remember why you believe what you do.
If you’re constantly distracted throughout the day, it might be helpful to create a simple devotional space where you can concentrate on God and his word without being interrupted by other people or activities. There are also many ways that you can stay connected to God throughout the day, such as listening to music that has a positive message behind it. Or, you might want to try an app like Buddhify or Calm which can help you to focus on God while you’re being distracted,” says Rabbi Samuel Waldman.
About Rabbi Samuel Waldman
As a religious educator, Rabbi Samuel has had a long and diverse career. Every week, he addresses the High School boys in each class separately about proper Torah living and Emunah topics.
Moreover, he encouraged them to strive for greater heights in their quest to become true Ben Torahs by one-on-one discussions. As a result of those lectures, Rabbi Samuel Waldman was encouraged to write a book by many of his students.
From 1986 to 1999, Rabbi Waldman taught 4th and 7th grades at Yeshiva Tiferes Moshe in Queens, NY. A few summer camps were also taught by Rabbi Waldman over the years, leaving his mark on hundreds of students.
Through his lectures and through his Sefer, he imbued the tenets of Judaism to his students for many years at the old Camp Torah Vodaas. For more information, visit the website of Rabbi Samuel Waldman.