The Library

Sexual lust can only be kept at bay by avoiding provocative sights and thoughts. Do not enter into negotiations with your desires, for the elaboration of your thoughts, even directed at annulling the desires, will have the effect of reinforcing the desires, and they ca...

Rabbi Abba taught: "Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O valorous one; thy glory and thy majesty," (Tehillim, 45:4.) The main point of the matter, is that G-d has given the sign of the holy Brit, and stamped it upon men for them to guard it, and not blemish it - it being the...

Come and see, the Holy One Blessed Be He fashioned the kingdom of earth after the model of the kingdom of heaven, one like the other, and whatever transpires on earth has first been approved above by G-d. The holy kingdom was not a completed kingdom until it was united wi...

Those who do not guard the sign of the holy Brit cause a separation between Israel and their Father in heaven, as is written, "And you turn aside and worship other gods, and bow down to them," (Ibid.) And afterward, it says, "He shut up the heaven, so that there be no rai...

Another explained the verse: "And from my flesh, I shall see G-d," (Iyov, 19:26.) What is the meaning of "And from my flesh?" It would be more proper to say, "from my inner essence." However, "my flesh" is to be understood literally (as being the place of the Brit,) as i...

Another began his exposition by referring to the verse, "Unless the L-rd had been my help, my soul would have soon dwelt in (Duma) silence, (Tehillim, 94:17.) We have learned: what is the special merit of Israel that they do not go down to Gehinom, and are not delivered i...

"And I will establish My Brit with thee," (Bereshit, 17:21) that you shall be the sign of the Brit in the world. After that, "And thou shall come into the ark." For if he had not been a tzaddik (a guardian of the Brit) he could not have entered the ark, for only the tzadd...

"And the L-rd saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and all the desire of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all of the day," (Bereshit, 6:5.) Rabbi Yehuda quoted the verse, "For thou art not a G-d who has pleasure in wickedness, nor shall evil (ra)...

Rav Hamnuna the Elder said this: "Do not let thy mouth cause thy flesh to sin," (Kohelet, 5:5.) A man should not allow his mouth to utter words that may bring him to lustful thoughts, and thus cause his holy flesh, on which is stamped the holy Brit, to sin. For whoever do...