A young man in Yerushalayim asked me something I wasn’t ready for.
His words broke me… and they might explain why your davening feels the way it does.

It’s been another big week of building — and experimenting.

A lot of you have been asking for an email-friendly version of Habitachon, and I’ve been playing with a few formats behind the scenes. If you want to help me test them out, just hit reply and say, “I’m in.” I’d love your feedback before I roll it out more widely.

And really… I’m blown away by the messages I keep getting from you.

People tell me the Habitachon notes show up at the exact moment they hit an obstacle.
Or that the lesson of the day is somehow the perfect reminder for exactly what they’re going through.
Or that it lands at the precise second they need to breathe and remember: Hashem is in charge.

I wish I could take credit — but it’s not me.
It’s not the format.
It’s not even Habitachon.

It’s Hashem.
His timing.
His orchestration.
His way of nudging us back to clarity at the exact second we start to fall into fear.

I’m just grateful to be a messenger in the process.

And on that note — the 7 Days to Unshakable Bitachon course is almost finished.
If you want to be the first to know when it opens (or lock in the big discounts now), the links are at the end of the article.

For now… let’s dive into this week’s piece.
It’s a deep one — and a doorway back into the heart of tefillah.

Grateful to learn and grow with you,
Amir

The Real Reason Your Tefillah Feels Empty (And How to Fix It)

You can be doing everything right… and still feel completely empty inside.

You can be doing everything right… and still feel completely empty inside.
I know because I lived it.

And recently in Yerushalayim, a young man came to my table with a question that hit me so deeply it brought everything back — the numbness, the confusion, the longing.

It reminded me of a truth almost no one ever teaches:
Most Jews aren’t disconnected.
They’re undernourished.
Let me show you what I mean.

The Only Part of Davening That Ever Felt Alive

In high school, I learned there’s a place in Shema Koleinu where you can add your own words.
Ask.
Beg.
Cry.
Whisper what’s in your heart.

So I tried it.
And suddenly — something woke up inside me.

It was the one place in Shemoneh Esrei that felt alive.
Real.
Like I wasn’t just davening… I was connecting.

The rest?
I stood, bowed, said the words — but inside, nothing moved.

Without realizing it, I started davening the entire Shemoneh Esrei just to reach that moment.
Because everything else felt like going through motions —
but Shema Koleinu felt like going through me.

Years passed. Life got busy. Marriage, work, little kids, quick tefillin, quick Shema, quick everything.

And then one morning, rushing through Shacharis, it hit me:

I was living a full Torah life… without a full Torah heart.

I wanted my children to love mitzvot.
But I didn’t feel that love myself.
I was checking boxes — not building connection.
And I thought I was the only one.

But Then I Started Talking to Jews Everywhere…

And I saw the same pattern:

They daven.
They say brachot.
They keep mitzvot.

And inside?
Disconnected.
Numb.
Going through motions.
Feeling guilty for not feeling more.
Wondering why the joy everyone talks about isn’t happening.

Not because they’re doing anything wrong —
but because no one ever taught them the part that makes everything come alive.

The Young Man in Yerushalayim Who Broke My Heart

Twice a week, we set up a table in town with a sign that says: Ask Us Anything.

People come with curiosity.
With pain.
With questions they never had space to voice.

And then there was him — early 20s, tired eyes, heavy heart.

He asked, “What’s the point of davening on Shabbos?”

I didn’t understand, so I asked him to explain.

His father was dangerously sick.
During the week, he poured everything into Shema Koleinu — talking, crying, begging Hashem in the only place that ever felt real.

But someone told him:
“You’re not allowed to daven for these things on Shabbos.”

And the only doorway he had into connection… slammed shut.

He looked at me and whispered:
“If I can’t daven for these things on Shabbos… then what’s left?”

And my heart broke.
Because he didn’t have a davening problem.
He had a relationship problem — the same one so many of us quietly carry.

Judaism Gives the Structure.

Connection Happens Within the Structure.

Rabbi Efrem Goldberg says something brilliant:

“The siddur is the Hallmark card.
Your own words are what you write inside.”

The card is beautiful.
Holy.
Ancient.

But without your handwriting?
It’s empty.

Judaism gives you the body—
but your voice is the heart.
Your honesty is the soul.
Your inner world is the flavor.

We were never meant to live a Torah life without a Torah heart.

If Your Yiddishkeit Feels Dry… Nothing Is Wrong With You

If you rush through davening…
If you feel disconnected during mitzvot…
If you wonder why you don’t “feel the fire”…
If you feel guilty for not feeling more…

Please hear me:
There is nothing wrong with you.
You didn’t fail Judaism.
Judaism failed to teach you something essential.

Connection isn’t magic.
It’s built — through voice, honesty, presence, intention.

Your mitzvot come alive when you come alive inside them.
And when that happens?
Everything changes.

A Simple Way to Start Today

The next time you reach Shema Koleinu, don’t rush.
Pause.
Breathe.
And whisper one honest line to Hashem.

Just one.

“Hashem, help me feel close to You.”
“I’m overwhelmed — guide me.”
“I want my mitzvot to mean more.”
“I trust You — even if I’m still learning how.”

Because connection doesn’t begin in the structure —
it begins the moment you show up with your heart.

And once it opens in one place…
it starts to open everywhere.

Shema Koleinu is not the destination.
It’s the doorway.

This Is Why I Built 7 Days to Unshakable Bitachon

Because Bitachon isn’t a concept — it’s a relationship.
And relationship is built through talking.

Every day in the course teaches you one core principle of Bitachon —
and every day includes a Tefillah Tip you can use immediately.

Real.
Simple.
Doable.

Here’s a taste:
Day 1: Talk to Hashem in a way that builds trust
Day 2: What to do in tefillah when your mind feels overloaded
Day 3: Gratitude that rewires your emotional state
Day 4: What to whisper when fear hijacks your thoughts
Day 5: How to daven with Hashem beside you, not above you
Day 6: Align your thoughts and heart with one quiet line
Day 7: How to walk through life with Hashem — literally

Every day adds another layer of calm, clarity, and connection.

This is how tefillah stops being something you rush through
and becomes something that holds you… and awakens you.

If You Want Your Tefillah — and Your Life — to Feel Alive Again…

I’d love to guide you deeper.

➡️ Join the waitlist for the 7 Days to Unshakable Bitachon Enhanced Course.

➡️ Or pre-purchase now and lock in the pre-launch pricing.

Because once your tefillah awakens,
your whole Judaism awakens.
And once that happens?
Nothing in your life stays the same.

Hashem is waiting to hear your voice.
You just have to start talking.
Hashem’s Got You.

Share this with one person who could use the clarity.
You can be the one who brings them closer. They can subscribe here:

May this week bring you more presence in your davening,
more honesty in your heart,
and more trust in the One who’s guiding every step.

Hashem’s got you,
Amir