Emunah (אמונה) — Faith

Core definition

Emunah, "faith," is the Jewish soul's innate, supra-rational attachment to Havayah. "All Yisroel are believers, children of believers; and emunah is above daas" [31682/maamar_020 :: עב׳ 104] — it precedes and outranks comprehension. It is not produced by proof: "a multitude of proofs will not increase essential emunah, and the enlargement and expansion of one's intellect will not diminish emunah" [58840/maamar_009 :: עב׳ 21]. It is a constant of the soul: "emunah is by all Jews in revelation; and even when sometimes the emunah is in concealment, through a light arousal it becomes aroused — but no avodah is needed for it" [31682/maamar_020 :: עב׳ 22].

How the Rebbeim develop it

Emunah is structurally a makif: it "is called 'atarah' (crown): for it is in the level of makif (surrounding) — not felt in pnimiyus, that there be avodah in actual deed" [31682/maamar_020 :: עb 105]. This explains its relation to bitachon (trust): "the beginning of the avodah is bitachon, which is steadfastness (kviyus)… 'every truster is a believer': meaning that the emunah comes to him in tangible feeling (hergesh), mamash — for every believer is not necessarily a truster, since emunah is in the aspect of encompassing (makif)" [31676/maamar_021 :: עb 466–468]. Hence "the verse warns constantly about bitachon more than about emunah" — emunah is given, bitachon must be worked for [31676/maamar_021 :: עb 38].

The content of the emunah is fixed: "the emunah of the Jewish souls — that they believe in Havayah," for "the Name Havayah belongs specifically to the souls of Yisrael (nishmas Yisrael)" — "the Name Havayah is in an aspect of inner unity (yichud pnimi) with the Jewish souls" [31676/maamar_021 :: עb 67–69]. "Our emunah, inherited to us from our fathers, is in the Name Havayah" [58840/maamar_009 :: עb 491]. This is contrasted with the emunah of the pious of the nations: "the emunah in matters of Elokim-ness that the pious of the world's nations believe — that the Holy One, blessed be He, created the world and conducts it as He wishes" [58840/maamar_009 :: עb 26] — but "their emunah and admission is only in what is comprehensible to them" [58840/maamar_009 :: עb 481], while Yisrael's emunah is supra-rational and essential.

Emunah must nevertheless be sustained: "in the parnasah of emunah — that he feed and sustain the emunah, to strengthen it in all manners of strengthening… that the power of emunah spread through all the powers, in great multiplication" [31682/maamar_020 :: עb 40–41]. Its nurturing shepherd is Moshe: "Moshe is called the faithful shepherd (re'aya mehemna) — because he shepherds Yisrael, who are called by the name 'emunah'" [31676/maamar_021 :: עb 43]. At the sea, the souls "were aroused in two soul-powers: in yirah (fear) and in emunah (faith)" [58840/maamar_009 :: עb 5].

Key distinctions

Related concepts

Sources