As I share these words with you, I would like you to know something: You do not know me, and I do not know you. And yet, I care deeply about you. I want the best for you. I wish you success, blessing, growth, and joy in all your endeavors—always.
Love and concern do not require familiarity. A Jewish heart recognizes another Jewish soul without introduction. If these words reach you, then they reached you for a reason.
My name is Yehoshua Gerzi, and I am zoche to live in Eretz Yisrael. Many years ago, I began writing a personal diary that I titled Hirhurei Torah—reflections, thoughts, inner movements of Torah lived and experienced. What I would like to share with you here is one entry from the diary, written when I was about twenty years old, in the year 5761 (2001).
Though the entry is personal, its message is universal. Though it emerged from a moment in time, its truth feels timeless.
These beliefs do not speak about indulgence. They speak about alignment. They do not promote ego. They cultivate responsibility, hope, and partnership with Hashem.
The Rav explained that these beliefs operate universally, aligning a person with reality itself. When anyone lives by them, elevation follows. For a Jew committed to Torah and mitzvos, they become amplifiers, deepening every aspect of avodas Hashem.
A Gentle Invitation
Please take what you have read and apply it in a way that feels real and sustainable for you. Do not overwhelm yourself. Do not compare your journey to anyone else’s. Yet you can push yourself.
The goal is simple: To improve your life. To live with more clarity, responsibility, trust, and joy.
May these beliefs open doors within you. May they deepen your connection to Hashem. May they help you live the life your soul already longs for.
Turning Belief into Lived Experience
My next question felt inevitable: How do I make this mine? The Rav chuckled. He expected it. He offered practical guidance:
- Write the beliefs down. Print them. Place them where your eyes will see them.
- Read them slowly. Notice what arises within you. Resonance? Resistance? Curiosity?
- Ask yourself: Why is it worthwhile for me to believe this? How might this belief improve my daily life?
- Write your answers. Clarity emerges through articulation.
- Repetition. Read them before tefillah or before sleep.
- Turn them into tefillah. Ask Hashem to help you internalize them—not as information, but as transformation.
Torah does not aim to inform alone. Torah seeks to shape consciousness.
Lovingly and respectfully, Yehoshua Gerzi
This article was found in Nekuda Tova Issue 64.
