The typical fellow on GYE is a nice guy. He learns, davens, puts on tzitzis and tefillin, is careful with Shabbos, kashrus, and inyonim bain adam l'chaveiro. His "chart" in shomayim is looking good. Comes Elul, and he asks himself - Can i learn and daven better/more? Can ...
Today is the 19th of Kislev, the yahrzeit of the Maggid of Mezritch. I was learning his sefer and he was talking about fearing Hashem and loving Hashem.
I would like to share an experience I just had, which helped me in my porn addiction struggle. I understand that the following may not be something you feel comfortable sending out, but I thought I would try and contribute. I feel this is particularly poignant during Elul.
"Please Hashem, within all my defects, my sins, my warts, my hurts, my huge mess, lies a specialness that you put in me. Why did you create me? Because you say I have value. Otherwise, I would not be here in this world.
Yes, we know that during the Chagim, he tried to stick his foot in many times, because when there is greater kedushah (the yom tovim), then there is greater tumah, i.e. Mr. Menuval.
But, now we have finished with the chagim. Let us not forget that on one hand it was the Chagim that helped us. We tuned into the kedushah and ran from the tumah.
The sforim tell us that rosh chodesh Shvat is very mesugal for his'chadshus - starting anew. It is the day Moshe Rabeinu began to explain the Torah. It is rosh hashana for trees according to Shammai - because the sap begins reviving the trees on that day. The Yidden were ...
When we were approaching חודש שבט I heard from Reb Shlomo Meyer a vort that was tremendous chizuk for me all these years.
שבט ר״ת שמרם ברכם טהרם.
This month, which is entirely during the weeks of שובבים is here to remind us what our goal in life is. We ask Hashem, please...
Today is rosh chodesh Sivan and today is my 90th day of my journey. I can't believe this.I am sitting here by my computer in a trance.Wow! Did I really accomplish 90 days! Yup, I DID! With thanks to H' and too many other ppl to mention who all helped me pull thru. No, it ...
During the hundreds of years that the Children of Israel lived in the land of Egypt, they gathered and elevated sparks of holiness that were hidden there. Our ancestors did what they had to do while enslaved in the lowest place on earth, they were ultimately successful in...
From this article about Rabbi Levin Zatza"l
Rav Levin’s rebbi, Rav Doniel, once asked, “Is man jealous of the wings of an eagle?” As the question sunk in, he responded, “No. Man is not jealous of wings. In fact, if a person would grow wings, he would be a baal mum; ther...
When people consider making improvements in Shmiras Haloshon, they sometimes drop the idea as unrealistic. “Can I really say that I’ll be able to avoid loshon hora forever? What’s the point of trying, only to fail?”
But in the month of Kislev, we learn that this line of ...
Here are the "Four Simplified Steps for Hitbodedut" to help you get started:
In a quiet place, with no interruptions, simply talk freely to Hashem in your own words, like to your parent
1) First thank Hashem for what He's given you (does your body work? Thank Him. Do...
The posuk in Tehillim (103) says, “Kirechok mizrach mimaarav,” as far as the east is from the west, “hirchik mimenu es peshoeinu,” that is the distance Hashem has removed us from our sins. Rav Nosson Dovid of Shidlovtza explained that the distance of east from west is es...
As we begin the study of this week’s parsha and encounter the narrative of “aishes yefas toar,” we wonder if there is more here than meets the eye. And there is. While the course of action for a man who went to war, emerged victorious, and then chanced upon a yefas toar ...
ראש חודש אלול. It's that time of year. When I usually sit down and write a list of everything I've done wrong. Of all the ways that I messed up. When I contemplate what a disappointment I've been to myself, my family, and those who don't even have any knowledge of h...
Chazal say: בא חבקוק והעמידן על אחת, צדיק באמונתו יחיה– The prophet Chavakuk came and founded all the Mitzvos of the Torah up on one Mitzva: that of EMUNAH, as the Pasuk (in Chavakuk) says “The righteous one lives in his faith.” This means that all the mitzvos of the Tora...
The Torah informs us that when Hashem punishes us and drives us out of the Land of Israel into exile, leaving us to the mercy of the nations of the world, it is not out of disgust or repulsion, or an attempt to destroy us. It is a method of discipline, as a father discipl...
Question of the Week
I see a lot of contradictions in the way the Rebbe is portrayed. He is sometimes described as the founder of Jewish outreach, focusing his energies on bringing lost and ignorant Jews back to the fold. But then when you analyze his writings and ...
