I just heard something on the radio that I want to share here.

There is a drink called Red Bull. Apparently it is considered a bad habit by some. I don't know much about it. I am quite sure it is not kosher.

Anyway, some other drink manufacturer wants to compete with it.

There slogan is, "Don't just break a bad habit; replace it with a good one." !!!

Mevakesh Hashem wrote on 23 Feb 2009 04:11:


There is something different about Lubavitch shlichim, I believe: They do not do things alone. Someone else knows what they are doing or goes with them. Either their wives or another shliach etc..  I believe that  this is their hanhogoh, even though I do not know for sure.

If any Lubavitcher sees this, please let us know........

Interesting; no (self revealing that I have seen) Lubavitcher on this site. I bet there may be less need among them for it....... That is my intuitive chush. Even though no one is going to come out and claim that he is a Lubavitcher, there are ways of detecting these things.

Esnachtoh, I missed you. How are things doing? I'm planning on starting a thread -one of these days- about Emunah. I plan on discussing some issues that you once raised. If you can look out for it and give me feed back, I'll appreciate it very much.

BTW Net is a lubavitcher but he doesn't post very much.

    Wouldn't it be great to teach sexual purity to your children and NOT be a hypocrite? Sounds like a great idea. But, alas, if you are addicted to S & L, which means you have a medical condition, this wonderful logic won't work. In fact, no logic will work to help an addict. What to do? The first thing is you have to sincerely WANT to change for the better. No one is going to force you, including the Creator of the universe. As we learn in parshas shlach, Hashem allowed Moshe to send the spies, even though Hashem knew it would end in tragedy. So what do I do? You come to GUE, you call the weekly phone groups, you get a sponsor, you ride out the 90 days (not an easy task), and the addiction starts fading. It never completely goes away, but it doesn't exert so much pressure as it used to. Scared to call the phone group because someone will find out your phone number? Don't worry - it's done in a way that your phone number is not displayed. When I made my first call, I was so scared that I used a public phone booth. But after wasting many quarters I said to myself 'just use your cell phone and hide your #'. I didn't have to do that either. Elya even discovered my real name - how terrible! So get over the fear, and make the call. Way back at the beginning, it was not an addiction - the yetzer hara was a spider web - easily pushed away. But the more we fed it, the thicker it became - until it became as thick as a thick rope - not as easily pushed away anymore. Now we have to find a super-deluxe cutting implement to cut through that thick rope, so we don't have to be hypocrites anymore. Hatzlacha to everyone! Jack

I happen to know a few on this site. We're all in this together. No one is immune from disease.
A Chabad person who has this illness should NOT be a Shliach in a place where they could be at risk.
Every person needs to know themselves.

I am looking for strategies to help me. A bit of background: I have been clean now for 58 days, in large part thanks to my discovery of this site. The strategies & Chizuk from this site have been invaluable.This length of time is a very big accomplishment for me.
My problem is that I feel that I am investing so much effort in this struggle (which is not getting easier over time) I have LESS energy and inclination for learning.  I would have expected for the struggle to ease & to feel more kedusha, not less. I feel like perhaps I am running a marathon with no end in sight and my resolve is weakening. Is this normal? Advice anyone?

dear moti, don't listen to those voices!! you just kepp on doing what you're doing and those voices will go away!! relax this shabbos!! if you make it to 90, without 1 slip, you will reap tremendous rewards! if you slip, you will have to start again. it's like medicine - you have to have a streak without slipping for it to work. so good luck, and happy climbing! jack

Dear Moti, I put up your question and our answer on this page of our new site. Check it out!

GuardUrEyes,

Thank you for your thoughtful response but I don't think I fully understood it. Specifically, "Are you doing this because it "feels" good to be clean and close to Hashem, or because it’s the right thing to do and what Hashem wants? This is the moment of truth for you." Can you please elaborate what you mean / I assume feeling close to Hashem is the preferred way?

In any case, re. your suggestion to join a 12 step telephone conference I would be willing to consider trying a once a week program, but the times are geared for US time zone, not for Israel where I live. I also have the additional constraint of finding a time when I can free myself from family responsibilities (my wife is unaware of my problem). Is there a weekly conference planned for evenings Israel time?

On a technical note, am I supposed to be responding from the new site instead?

Feeling close to Hashem is nice for a few reasons.
1) It's an indication we're on the right path
2) It helps us continue on the right path.

BUT... feeling close to Hashem should never become the REASON why we are doing it. It is only good if it is a "by-product" of our divine service. So sometimes Hashem takes away the close feeling so we can know the "truth" about why we are doing it.

Please see this link for more on this idea.

The only 12-Step group that works for Israeli hours is Chaim Duvid's group. 12 PM U.S time is 7 PM Israel time. If you value long-term sobriety, I would make the time 4 X a week. If you can't so often, so join as often as you can make it...




No, you can only respond here...

Be well Tzadik!

Just too mention 2 things as someone who would call themselves chabad or even in a shliach's postion...
1. Addiction strikes anyone anywhere at anytime.... Some shluchim have fallen ....
If you are truly involved in dealing with your issues kiruv etc and YOU ARE NOT YET ADDICTED you can follow these rules and Hashem will help you if you place Gedarim...
2. A friend of mine was given explicit directions from the Rebbe when he said that he could not do kiruv because of hirhurim , that he focus on kiruv only at the Koisel kotel and such where there are only men.
3. A rov in France asked the Rebbe about doing kiruv near beaches the Rebbe answered any place which is assur to go to is assur to do kiruv.
4. The Rebbe once answered that the Torah we learn and the mitsvos we do can do kiruv because of yisrael having one neshama to people even in places that we cannot go i.e. churches cults bordellos etc
Kol tuv