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Daf Yomi, Mishna Yomit, Rambam Yomi, the worldwide daily study sessions that have tens of thousands completing cycles of Torah study at the same time– are now joined by Emuna Yomit, the daily study unit that provides the underlying spiritual basis for them all –  a way of bringing participants closer to Hashem in a short study session that is an addition to the Talmudic ones in which the details of the Torah's commandments are expounded.

The "Something for Your Neshama" [something for your soul, ed.] - organization was founded after the Merkaz Harav Yeshiva massacre in which eight students were murdered by a terrorist as they sat poring over their holy books in the Merkaz Harav library. The organization, made up of the flagship religious Zionist yeshiva's outstanding students, originally published booklets to strengthen youth's spiritual roots in order to help them overcome the trauma of the tragedy.

Now, it has created a daily study program of the basic works of Jewish religious thought, whose goal is to familiarize the tens of thousands who attend daily Talmud sessions of all types with the Jewish people's seminal works on the tenets of Jewish faith. Each unit is approved by three well-known Israeli rabbis, Rabbi Yitzchak Shilat of Maaleh Adumim Yeshiva, Rabbi Shlomo Aviner of Ateret Cohanim Yeshiva and Rabbi Avraham Sylvetsky of Merkaz Harav Yeshiva.

The project originated in Merkaz Harav, but has been joined by the Beit El Yeshiva which has posted the link for enrolling on the yeshiva.org.il website and by Machon Meir, which has done the same on its website.

Moshe Shternberg (one can order booklets or daily emails from him at [email protected]), one of the founders of the project, told Arutz Sheva that the group was inspired by the words of Israel's first Chief Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Hacohen Kook, who said that once the Jews have returned to their land, there will be external political and economic development that must be accompanied by parallel internal development in Torah and Faith. Rav Kook emphasized the need for studying Jewish thought in times that have seen so much tragedy as well as so many miracles.

The Emuna Yomi program is divided into self-contained daily units with clear explanations so that they can be studied in five minutes or perused in depth for much longer, depending on time and interest. Subscribers receive daily emails which contain the units, explanations of difficult words, exposition of the unit's ideas, questions for group discussion and extra sources for those who can spend more time.

Units can also be bought in pamphlets for 5 IS each that are made up of one month's units with the same explanations and additions.

At the end of the cycle, which will be in two years time at the start of the next shmitta year, learners will have completed several basic works of Jewish Philosophy and religious thought, including Maimonides' Eight Chapters, Yehuda Halevi's Kuzari, some of the Maharal's works and Mesilat Yesharim.

The study cycle officially began on the seventh of Heshvan, two days ago. The word is out that in addition to the adoption of the program by Daf Yomi groups, there is a spreading nucleus of married couples who have decided to study the units together each day, a doable way to spend quality time together and strengthen the spiritual basis of a good Jewish home

At present, due to financial constraints, the units are in Hebrew and not yet to be found in English translation. The "Something for your Neshama" group hopes that this problem will be solved by someone who would like Jewish thought to be a daily session for English speakers as well.

For readers who can manage the Hebrew, the link for subscribing is https://www.yeshiva.org.il/reg/dailyEmunaReg.aspx