The Library

No matter how low a person may have fallen and no matter how severe the sins they have done, the doors of true T'shuvah are never closed and G-d's hands are always outstretched and waiting for us to return to him. The main part of T'shuvah is to STOP sinning. The next ste...

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 ...

Dear Chevreh, I just have to share some of these incredible posts from our forum since after Yom-Tov. There's so many valiant battles going on there, so much inspiration, Teshuvah and Ahavas Yisrael! (Scroll down to read them all)   "Crakerjack" posted: Hi All, I posted ...

Today is Hoshana Rabba, the last chance for Teshuvah before the final "Chasimah" of the new year. We need to have a clear cut plan if we want to succeed in doing true Teshuvah. We need to make sure that visiting forbidden sites and masturbation is simply "not an option" f...

Today is the Ushpizin of Yosef Hatzadik, and tonight - Hoshana Rabba, is the Ushpizin of David Hamelech. The Zohar in Parshas Lech Lecha, discusses the merits that both Yosef and David had that enabled them to achieve kingdom. Here is what the Zohar writes: The Pasuk stat...

You may find that the Yetzer Hara feels stronger these days than usual. Because it's vacation-time, people are often not learning as much Torah as they usually do. Hashem says "barasi Yetzer Hara, barasi torah tavlin" - "I created the Yetzer Hara, and I created the Torah...

Sukkos is a time of Simcha. The Chassidic Rebbe of Karlin once said that with Simcha Shel Mitzva a Yid can break down all barriers! The Yetzer Hara just flees when Jews rejoice with Hashem's Mitzvos. Have a Simchadik Yom-Tov!

  Whenever faced with a struggle, remember this important saying: "LET GO AND LET G-D" This idea can be found in Tehhilim (37) as well: Roll your ways on G-d, trust in him and he shall do. Someone sent us a piece from the Husiaterner Rebbe, Reb Ya'akov zy'a from Rh...

We all do/did the Minhag of Kaparos on Erev Yom-Kippur or in the days preceding it. One may ask... before Yom Kippur, we immerse in the Mikvah and supposed to be all clean and dressed in white. So why do we need to get all dirty with the smelly chickens and watch the bloo...

This Shabbos is perhaps the most powerful Shabbos of Shovavim since we read about Yetzias Mitzrayim. In a spiritual sense, everyone of us is given a chance this Shabbos to leave the Mitzrayim of the Yetzer Hara behind us once and for all. I heard an adam Gadol speak this ...

Join the Worldwide YEshiva Shovavim Initiative at shovavim.org - "YES we can!" Here's a nice vort for the Shabbos table, as well as a profound understanding into our struggle with the Yetzer Hara. It is not for nothing that these Parshios of "leaving Mitzrayim" were chos...

There's a fundamental and elementary piece from the holy Ohr Hachayim that gives a clear perspective on the powerful nature of carnal desire, and helps us understand how Hashem expects us to remain holy in spite of it being against human nature. In honor of Shovavim, I wo...

Join the Worldwide YEshiva Shovavim Initiative at shovavim.org - "YES we can!" Today begins the six week period known as "Shovavim", which is an acronym made up of the first letters of the Parshios of these 6 weeks, Shmos, Va'era etc... Shovavim is a very auspicious time...

The more we understand the underlying message the 12-Steps represent, the more we can understand the underlying message of Yetzias Mitzrayim as well. Those who work the 12-Steps into their lives, claim that they no longer have to fight the Yetzer Hara; Hashem does it for...

The 3rd step states: "We made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him". In the past we tried to explain how this works: Instead of retaining the lust and trying to give up our will to Hashem, we surrender the lust itself to ...

We have previouly discussed how the 12-Steps give us a set of guidelines that are basic foundations of what it means to be a human being - created in the image of G-d. We have also discussed that it is only after our foundations are solid that can we begin to build on top...

Whenever there was a strong Kedusha, it leaves a "void" in its wake when it leaves. That is why we eat Melaveh Malka on Motzai Shabbos, to counter this affect. And perhaps that is also why there is Shushan Purim. Otherwise, the great drop in Kedusha from Purim to regular ...

In the days before Purim, I received an unprecedented amount of e-mails with cries for help, people who had fallen and felt they couldn't get back up, posts on the forum of despair, lack of motivation, etc... It struck me as odd that there should be so many in a row, all ...