The Library

The pasuk says: velo sasuru acharei levavchem ve’acharei einechem. Rashi brings from chazal: the eyes are scouts for the body. The eyes see, then the heart desires, and the rest of the body gets dragged into it as well. This raises an obvious question: the pasuk says eine...

Therapists have been known to comfort clients who experience anxiety-provoking and obsessive thoughts, by telling them, “There is no need to feel fear or shame about the thoughts that run through your head. Thoughts do not really mean anything and don’t hurt anyone.” W...

According to Kabbala, from midnight and on is considered a time of Rachamim (divine mercy) even though it is still in middle of the night. Yet from midday and on is considered a time of Din (divine judgement), even though the sun is still high in the sky. Although this se...

The Zohar, Shemot 3b , states: We have learned that the Holy One Blessed Be He has no zealousness, except for His zealousness over the holy Brit, for this Brit is the secret of the Sacred Name and the secret of faith. As is written, 'And the people began to commit harlotr...

The Nefesh HaChaim writes in Chapter One: "A man of Israel must understand, know, and establish in his mind and heart that every detail of his deeds, speech, and thoughts, at every second and time, all rise up according to their root source to influence the most exalted w...

Repent to G-d every day. Admit your sins and change your ways, as the Pasuk says "Modeh V'eozev Yerucham" - "He who admits and desists will be shown mercy". In the holy books it says that the secret of confession is as follows: Every deed a person does creates a prosecut...

Vision possesses such lofty importance because the eyes are the windows to the "soul of the soul." A blemish to the sense of vision, when the eyes gaze upon some forbidden image, is grave indeed, as stressed by the verse in the Book of Eichah, "My eye affects my soul beca...

The true strength of a person's piety is demonstrated under the following circumstances: a devout person does not cast off his piety even when people ridicule him; whatever he does is for the sake of heaven; he does not look at women. His piety is put to the test especial...

One should know that the principle aspect of a Jew's holiness and purity is in sanctifying his eyes. The Torah emphasizes this in the verse regarding Yehuda by asking, "Where is the k'deisha?" While the word k'deisha has the meaning "harlot," it can also be read in its me...

In the Talmud (Baba Metzia 107) it says that almost all forms of death come through the agency of the Ayn ha Ra [Evil eye] and the advice to save ourselves from this is to guard our eyes from looking at forbidden things (Berachot 20) for because of this behavior, Yoseph a...

Our Rabbis have taught: Samson rebelled against G-d through his eyes, as it says, "Samson said to his father, 'I noticed one of the Philistine women in Timnah…Get her for me, for she is the one that pleases me ... (Judges 14:2, 3). Because of this the Philistines gouged o...

When Avraham was coming to Mitzrayim with Sarah, he told her: "Imri Na Achosi At, Lima'an Yitav Li Ba'avureich, Ve'chaysah Nafshi Biglaleich" - "Say, please, that you are my sister, so they should do good for me, for you, and give me life because of you". The Ba'al Shem T...

We are commanded to bring the Korban Tamid in the Beis Hamikdash twice a day. The Torah uses the following words; "zeh ha'ishe asher takrivu la'hashem" - "this is the fire that you should sacrifice to G-d". And it says "Olas Tamid Ho'asuyah Behar Sinai, lerei'ach nicho'ac...

It is written in Pirkei Avos "Let the poor be members of your household and don't talk much with women". R' Nachman says that the Mishna is hinting to us a secret, namely, that Tzedaka is a great s egulah not to come to sexual fantasies. Even so, continues R' Nachman, the...

Mevakesh Hashem posted on the forum: We have to realize that if and when you fall occasionally, IT SHOULD NOT GET YOU DOWN!!! The very fact that the falling makes you feel bad and guilty shows how high you have climbed! That same "falling" was everyday happening in the "...

We were in contact recently with someone who claims that they have been trying to stop masturbation for many years and cannot succeed. The failures and the severity of the sin according to Chaza"l, were making him depressed, and this in turn would cause him to fall even ...

There's an interesting Gemara in Nidda (24b):Aba Shaul says, I used to be a grave-digger. One day, a cave opened up under me and I stood in a (huge) eye-socket of a skeleton until my nose. When I went back, they told me it was the eye of Avshalom. And lest you'll say that...

The core of the famous "12-Step" program and the secret to its great success, are the first 3 steps: 1. We admitted we were powerless over lust, and that our lives had become unmanageable. 2. We came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanit...