The Library

"Battleworn" posted the following powerful Chizuk on the forum from a Shmooze by R' Tzvi Meir Zilberberg - Shvi'ee Shel Pesach 5759 (edited for clarity): The Chozeh from Lublin, The Beer Mayim Chaim, R' Hershele of Ziditshov, R' Tzadok Hacohen and other tzadikim all sai...

The Chassidic Sefarim speak about how we are able to learn true Ahavas Hashem from Shechem Ben Chamor. The Torah uses four different descriptions for Shechem's infatuation with Dinah, in the following order: It is interesting to note that the order of Shechem's "infatuati...

The Zohar in Parshas Tetzava brings an encounter between R' Shimon Bar Yochai and a old Holy Jew who came out of the desert. R' Shimon asked him why he had been in the desert and he replied that he dwells there the whole year round and learns Torah, explaining that he did...

אָדָם כִּי יַקְרִיב מִכֶּם קָרְבָּן לַה' מִן הַבְּהֵמָה מִן הַבָּקָר וּמִן הַצֹּאן תַּקְרִיבוּ אֶת קָרְבַּנְכֶם When a man (singular) brings an offering to Hashem: From the animals - from the cattle or from the flock shall you (plural) bring your offering (1:2) Why is th...

It's interesting to note, that although there were four people who never sinned; Binyamin, Amram, Yishai, and Kilav (son of Dovid HaMelech), only Yosef is called a Tzaddik - Yosef Hatzadik. Why? Because he was tempted and withstood the temptation. In my opinion, every mem...

We once brought an amazing piece from the Ohr Hachayim on Acharei Mos (in Chizuk e-mails 379, 381 and 385 on this page). To see the original text of the Ohr Hachayim, please see here(You can print it out to read at your convenience). To summarize, the Ohr Hachayim writes ...

Let us all remind ourselves what it was that pushed us to seek help. What was it about the addiction that we hated the most? If we focus on that, it will help us not to slip or fall. For me it was as follows: A. I was using it as a crutch for instant gratification B. I kn...

IN THIS WEEKS PARSHA WE FIND THE MOST MOST MOST (THAT'S A LOT OF MOST) FUNDAMENTAL QUESTION IN THE TORAH:"WHAT DOES G-D WANT FROM ME???"V'ATAH YISROEL MAH HASHEM ELOKECHA SH-EL MEI-IMCHA??I WILL STOP AT THE FIRST WORD: "VE'ATA""VE'ATA" IS LASHON OF TESHUVAH "VE'ATA" MEAN...

I was studying this week's Parsha, searching for meaning in my life and struggles as I often do, when I came across a most unusual pasuk. Moshe is speaking to Klal Yisrael telling them not be afraid of entering the land and that their enemies will fall easily under their ...

We read in this week's Parsha (Eikev): "If you should say in your heart that the nations (read: Yetzer Hara) are much greater and stronger than us","EICHA UCHAL LEHORISHAM - how can we conquer them?". Notice that the Pasuk uses the word "Eicha", like the first word of "Me...

I picked up tonight and headed out to the Kosel, the last remnant of our Holy Temple, as I have been doing a lot lately. I took my younger brother with me. I walked up to the wall and touched the familiar stones which I have visited so often in my recent quest for G-d. Th...

God commanded Moses to attack Midian in revenge for their devastating scheme against the Israelites. The Midianites had used their daughters to lure the Israelite men into worshipping the licentious idolatry of Peor, resulting in Divine anger and a terrible plague. The wa...

In the Parsha of TZITZIS, the Torah Teaches us: "VE'LO SASURU ACHAREI LIVAVCHEM VIACHAREI EINICHEM - And you shall not stray after your heart and after your eyes". Said Reb Lazer, VE'LO SASURU - you should not stray from the path of Hashem, ACHAREI LEVAVCHEM, V'ACHAREI AI...

So many people seem to be struggling recently against a seemingly invincible enemy. Many of our greatest warriors experienced falls, and others were posting how they've never felt so close the edge of the abyss. I received a lot of e-mails with calls for help, people were...

Pinchas was a zealot and therefore he was the one person who was rightfully able to kill Zimri (as per the Halacha of Habo'el aramis kanaim pogiin bo).But here is the bombshell: The Torah calls Pinchas a man of peace!!"A zealot?" you ask, "does that not conjure up an imag...

I didn't want to get into my work today (Sundays are always hard to get back to work), so I surfed around. I wanted to surf lightly, not anything too arousing because I didn't want to fall this week. But of course, one thing led to another, and next thing I know, I'm surf...

The Parsha of "Aishes Yefas To'ar - a woman of beautiful form" is interesting. Often the Torah uses the words "Yefas Mareh - beautiful looking" when describing a woman's beauty, but here only "form" is mentioned. The next few words say: "Ve'chashakta Bah - and you lust...

I saw this amazing vort on last week's parsha. It's from sefer Kol Eliyahu, selected chidushim from the Vilna Gaon. (I will paraphrase. It does lose something in the translation, but I think it is worth a shot): "Re'eh Anochi nosayn lifneichem hayom brach...