This morning, on Rosh Chodesh Elul, Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto addressed his students, emphasizing the central challenge of our generation—the test of faith. "We must strengthen our faith, believe that everything comes from God, be connected to Him, and understand that everything that happens in the world is orchestrated by Him." The rabbi explained that every challenge and event in life is part of divine providence. For a person to receive divine blessings, they must prepare within themselves a vessel capable of holding that abundance.

Rabbi Pinto continued, explaining that the way to prepare such a vessel is to live with purity and simplicity of heart. "There are people who do good, observe commandments, and study Torah, but their hearts are not pure," Rabbi Pinto said. "They are constantly in doubt, questioning whether their path is correct, and this lack of simplicity prevents them from receiving divine blessings." He stressed that we must live with sincerity, fully believe in our path, and trust that God governs the world, following Him with a pure and wholehearted faith.
Reflecting on the past year, Rabbi Pinto remarked that it was a difficult one for the Jewish people. "This past year, we saw much sorrow for the people of Israel, much suffering, many widows, and many orphans. And if the people of Israel are in pain, then God Himself is in pain. And when God is in pain, every individual must examine their actions and ask how they can correct their ways and improve."

(credit: Shuva Israel)
(credit: Shuva Israel)

According to Rabbi Pinto, everyone must look back on the past year and recognize both the collective pain of the Jewish people and the personal pain experienced by each individual. "No one can say they had a good year," Rabbi Pinto declared. "This year was filled with difficulties and challenges, and no one can claim it was a year of ease."
In his remarks, Rabbi Pinto also highlighted the importance of simplicity in faith, especially during trying times. "The key is not to overthink or intellectualize faith," he said. "A person who constantly engages in debates, doubts, and over-analysis of faith lacks a vessel to receive divine blessings. To merit receiving God's bounty, we must set aside intellectualism and embrace faith with simplicity."
Rabbi Pinto concluded by emphasizing that preparing for divine blessings begins with heartfelt devotion. "God gives us signs, and each of us must take note of them, reflect on our own path, and seek to return to God. A person must search their ways, repent, and prepare themselves to receive divine blessings. The right way is to walk in simplicity of heart, believe that this is the path God has laid out for the world, and follow Him with pure and wholehearted faith."

This article was written in cooperation with Shuva Israel