The following information comes from the book, The Garden of Emuna by Rabbi Shalom Arush. This book has helped untold thousands of people, Jewish and non-Jewish come to learn and stand on true biblical emuna. Thousands upon thousands of lives have been impacted and repaired by the return of the message of emuna on a worldwide basis.

Now Rabbi Arush has taken his most prized work and made it easier to read and understand for the non-Jewish world by printing, The Universal Garden of Emuna.

Here are two things that Rabbi Brody had to say about the new addition, “completely non-denominational, for all of mankind…One of the Arab judges in the Jerusalem Municipal Court read this book and told Rav Shalom that he should translate it into Arabic too. True emuna has the power to bring peace to mankind. There’s no other solution.”

So what is emuna all about that it is the one thing that can save lives, bring peace among enemies and so forth?

G-d gave every person emuna, there is not one person who has not received it; there are only those who know they have it and live by it or those who simply do not live by it or does not know how to tap into it.

First how does one tap into that inner part we call emuna?

You do not need a mediator or someone on your behalf to beseech the heavens for you or to sit next to G-d and whisper in His ear.

Tehillim/Psalms 145:18

“The Eternal is close to ALL who call upon Him – to all who call upon Him sincerely (in truth)

G-d is just a call a way for every one of His creatures – He does not put any one between you and Him. Calling out to Him is the first basic step in emuna.

There are three levels of emuna as one treks in his journey toward his/her Creator as listed in the Garden of Emuna by Rabbi Shalom Arush

1. Basic-level emuna: This is the firm knowledge that everything comes from G-d by way of perfect Divine Providence, even the tiniest and most seemingly insignificant event.
2. Intermediate-level emuna: In addition to flawless basic emuna, the intermediate knows that everything G-d does is for the very best.
3. Upper-level emuna: In addition to solid basic and intermediate level emuna, the upper-level individual knows that G-d does everything for a specific purpose, and tries to understand the message within whatever G-d does.

I will close this out with another point and a story to prove the work of emuna.

When a leaf falls from a tree or a snow flake finds its resting place in the midst of a storm or even a grain of sand tossed by the sea settles to its resting place – none of this happens by chance for every event G-d is in control directing every movement. And if He places the leaf on the ground where He wants it, then how much more involved is He in the life of those who were created in His image.

The following store is paraphrased from memory; I may not get all the details right but the outcome of the story is the same.

The Baal Shem Tov was sitting with his students one day discussing Divine Providence when one student did not quite get it and was asking questions on how G-d was involved in the minutest details of his creation. The great rabbi asked the student to wait and he would be shown; when then a leaf fell from a tree in the midst of them. The rabbi told the students to watch and then a caterpillar crawled into their midst and began eating on the leaf that had just fallen.

So we see here that G-d placed the leaf on the ground in the right place at the right time to feed one of his smallest of creatures.

One with emuna stands firm that every event in his/her life is directed by his Creator and every event is for the best. G-d made us and knows what is best for each individual. As we grow in our emuna then we can begin to seek Him and ask what we are to learn or do with each event in our lives even a stumped toe is from Him – “A man’s heart devises his way; but G-d directs his steps.” Prov. 16:9

Even if it is into a table leg to get his attention.

Terry W. Hayes