HOW TO SCEAM TO HASHEM

Rabbi Nachman Writes:

Sexual temptation is the main test in life. It is sent as a challenge to refine us. When you are subjected to this test it puts you in a type of "exile". You should cry out to G-d: scream and cry out to Him over and over again, like a woman in labor who cries out from the pain of her contractions. Seventy times she cries out (Zohar III, 249b). You must do likewise and cry out to G-d again and again until He takes pity and helps you to strengthen yourself and break your desire. New ideas and new perceptions will be born within you. The secrets of Torah, which before were guarded, will now be unveiled for you. The greater the determination with which you stand up to the trial, the greater the revelation you will receive in Torah and devotion to G-d. You will be able to see the seventy faces of the Torah

TO PICTURE YOURSELF IN IT

WHEN LEARNING IMAGINE YOURSELF LIVING THE INYAN ,WHEN DAVEING IMAGINE THE KING IN FRONT OF YOU

WHAT IS CONTROLLING YOU YOUR MIND OR HEART

WHAT IS CONTROLLING YOU YOUR MIND OR HEART ,IF ITS YOUR HEART YOU WILL LOOSE CONTROL VERY QWICKLIY,SO GET YOUR MIND WORKING NON STOP SO YOUR THE BOSS

RABBI MATYA BEN CHERESH

From the Medrash Yalkut Shimoni, Vayechi
THE FOLLOWING STORY HAPPENED TO RABBI MATYA BEN CHERESH WHO WOULD ALWAYS BE SITTING IN THE BET HA MIDRASH ENGAGED IN TORAH STUDY AND THE BRILLIANCE OF HIS FACE RESEMBLED THE SUN AND THE APPEARANCE OF HIS FACE RESEMBLED THAT OF THE MINISTERING ANGELS, BECAUSE HE HAD NEVER RAISED HIS EYES TO LOOK AT WOMEN
Once the Satan fixed his sight on this Tzaddik and said to himself: "Is it possible that this man does not sin? " Then the Satan went and asked G-d: "How do you consider Rabbi Matya Ben Cheresh?" And G-d replied: "He is a perfect Tzaddik" The Satan said to G-d: "Give me permission to put him to the test". G-d told the Satan: "Go".
THE SATAN APPEARED TO THE RABBI AS A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN AND HE PREFERRED BEING BLIND THAN SINNING BEFORE HASHEM
The Satan appeared to the Rabbi as a beautiful woman the like of which there had never been in the world. When the Tzaddik saw he immediately turned his face away from the woman. Then the woman quickly moved to the side where Rabbi Matya had turned his face to, and he quickly again turned his face away from that woman. Then the Tzaddik said: "I am afraid that my Yetzer haRa will overpower me and will cause me to sin" What did the Tzaddik do? He called a student that was there with him and ordered him to bring him fire with nails. The student brought him nails and the Tzaddik put them to his eyes and became blind. When the Satan saw this he trembled and fell on his back.
HASHEM ORDERED THE ANGEL RAPHAEL TO CURE THE TZADDIK
At that time The Holy One Blessed be He called the angel Raphael for he is in charge of healing and told him: "Go and heal Rabbi Matya Ben Cheresh" Then Raphael came in front of the Rabbi and he asked: "Who are you" and he replied: "I am Raphael the angel, I came for G-d sent me to cure your eyes" and Rabbi Matya replied: "Leave me alone, what is already done is what will be" Raphael returned before the Holy One Blessed be He and said: "Master of the World, thus spoke Matya" G-d said to him: "Go back to him and tell him that I will personally guarantee that the Yetzer haRa will have no power over him". Immediately Raphael went and cured Matya. From here Our Sages said: "All those that are careful not to look at women, The Yetzer haRa has no power over them".

MOTZA SIMCHAS TORAH

HASHEM YETIN LE KOCHA LAZOV INTERNET LGAMREY AKYR ...

TO BURN A IMAGE OF HASHEM AND WHAT YOU LEARN

TO BURN A IMAGE OF HASHEM AND WHAT YOU LEARN SO YOUR MIND WILL BE IN USE ALL THE TIME ,AND NOT BE WASTED ,AND THE YH WONT BE WELCOMED THERE

THE OLD AVEROS ARE PUILLING YOU DOWN

THERE IS ALWAYS A WAR GOING ON TO GO UP OR DOWN THE OLD AVAROS ARE PUILLING DOWN THE MITZVOS UP LIKE THE DREAM WITH YAKOV MAKE SURE YOU HEAD UP NOT DOWN

THE CLOSER YOU ARE THE LESS AVAIOROS

THE FURTHER YOU ARE MORE PROBLEMS GET CLOSER  AND HASHEM WILL HELP WITH ALL

THE BIGGEST PLAGUE IN HISTORY

IT TAKES DOWN PEOPLE AND TIME AND A PERSON IS LOCKED IN WITH OUT AWAY OUT

TO BRING A KORBAN

THE WORD KORBAN COMES FROM KRAV TO GET CLOSER TO HASHEM THATS THE CONSTANT JOB OF A PERSON ,YOU NEED TO ASK YOURSELF AM I GETTING CLOSER OR FURTHER WITH MY DEEDS

EACH WORD A ANGEL

THE MORE FEELING KAVANA YOU PUT IN TO IT THE BETTER AND BIGGER MALACH WILL COME FRO IT

THE CHANGE IS HARD TO NOTICE (40 YRS R AKIVA )

Take One Day at a Time

"The keys to control" are exactly what I need! What do routine and experience have to do with controlling my eyes?

"Routine and experience are the keys to control in every matter."

(Ohr Yisrael, Letter Four)

Rabbi Salanter used the word "routine" quite in­tentionally, for self-improvement does not happen overnight. Character refinement is a process that takes time. Develop a routine practice of guarding your eyes. By making it a habit, you will eventually train your eyes to avoid looking at improper images.  

The slowness of your progress may frustrate you. Re­member that just as you cannot detect the movement of the hour hand on a clock unless you look at it intermit­tently, it's hard to detect character transformation as it is taking place.

 

Let's review the well-known story of Rabbi Akiva, who began studying Torah at age forty, and felt little progress. One day, he sat down near a spring and noticed a rock with a hole that had been made by the dripping water. He saw a wonderful message in this occurrence: "If water, which is soft, can carve a rock, which is hard - then surely the Torah, which is so strong, can penetrate my heart which is only flesh and blood." (Avot D'Rebbi Na­tan, chapter 6)

This insight - that there is undetectable, but certain change - inspired Rabbi Akiva to rededicate himself to Torah. He understood that every word he learned infused him with spiritual health, life, and holiness. This aware­ness propelled him to become one of the greatest of our Sages.

The other key is experience. In your battle to over­come the curiosity of your eyes, there will be slip-ups and mistakes along the way. Unexpected images or challeng­ing situations may catch you off-guard.

Even if you have the strongest dedication to self-im­provement, it's critical to accept the fact that mistakes are part of the learning process. We need to learn the pitfalls in order to avoid them. The Talmud expresses this truth: "A person can only learn after he has erred." (Gittin 43a)

The realization that mastery over your eyes takes time and experience is very important for two reasons: first, to avoid the unrealistic expectation of instant change; and secondly, to understand that without occasional mistakes, we cannot really grasp the lesson.

Considering the tendency of human nature to be at­tracted to improper images, it is virtually impossible for a person to gain instant control of his eyes. If you react with guilt and despair every time you fall short, you will never learn from your error. But if you can identify the exact mistake, you will eventually learn not to repeat it.

Today: Be patient with yourself! Take a look at the mistakes you've made, so you will be alert to these specific challenges in the future.

THE REAL ARMY

http://www.guardureyes.com/GUE/Images/Soldiers.jpg

THE BULDOZER

YOU HAVE TO CONFRONT THE YH AND KNOCK HIM OUT WITH A PUNCH AND GO OVER HIM AND BE AGGRESIVE

THE BIG DAY TO KILL YH IS HERE FROM GYE

It's hard

Very Hard

But worth it.

Very Worth it.

The evil YH, will plan and scheme

He will make us yell and scream

He will make us  stubbornly fight

And convince us that wrong is right

He will stop at nothing to make us stray

And make us waste yet another day

He will convince us that we have erred too far

And we no longer can shine as Hashem's star

How wrong he is this lousy beast

Who will soon be slaughtered at the Mashiach feast

He plays games with our minds and makes us turn away

From Hashem, our Master who loves us every single day

Yes, it's hard to see through the tricks of this bum

But we must remain focused, and we will overcome

For a Jew that gets up after a fall and  grows from the pain

Has taken his Neshama and erased yet another stain

Soon enough Mashiach will arrive, not despite our falls, rather because of them

Mashiach will reveal just how close we always were to Hashem

Stand strong dear brothers and sisters, warriors of Truth

The days of the YH are numbered, he hangs on by a tooth

Yes, it seems so far away and not a reality we can touch

But it is close, very close, because Hashem loves us very much

Never before has a generation been so close, yet so far

My dear brothers and sisters, it's time to raise the bar

Let's resolve here today ,as one voice with no dissent

To do an action today to further do Teshuva and repent

Let's take it up a notch and improve  something in our way

and in that merit we shall truly be worthy of bringing Mashiach TODAY!!!

Yes, its hard.

Very Hard

But it's worth it.

Yes, Very worth it.

Up Against the Whole World

Up Against the Whole World
Sent by "HelpMeGYE"

R' Ezriel Tauber Shlit"a was once asked to speak in a certain school where the principal had discovered that the kids were sharing blue movies. This is what he told them.

He said that the 6000 years of creation are split into three parts. The first part corresponds to Eloikai Avraham, the second to Elokai Yitschok and the third to Elokai Yaakov. However the generation before Moshiach is the Chasima (stamp) of creation, and it corresponds to Magen Avraham - as in the first Bracha of Shmoneh Esrei. And that's where we are now.

What was the greatness of Avraham Avinu? That he was able to stand up against an entire world that worshiped Avoda Zora and preach monotheism.

Said R Tauber: When we face a computer with access to the whole world, every one of us is an individual Avrohom Avinu, because we each face-off against an entire world. That is why our generation corresponds to Avraham - and that's why we will be the generation to bring Moshiach!

IF THERE IS A WILL THERE IS A WAY

http://youtu.be/qX9FSZJu448

TO DO TESHUVAH

TO REMEBER THE OLD STUFF AND TO WIPE THE DIRT OFF TO COME BACK TO HASHEM

HASHEM IS SPINNING THE WORLD

AND YOU HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THINGS .HE CAN HOLD THE WORLD AND YOUR PROBLEMS HE CANT DEAL WITH LEAVE IT UP TO HIM HE IS THE BOSS ANYWAY

DAY 2 OF NO BROWSING THE WEB

TAKE THE COVERS OFF THE NESHMA IT WILL BURN VERY STRONG

THE YOKE OF HASHEM WILL TAKE AWAY REST OF YOKES

HAMKABEL UUL MALCHUS SHOMAYIM MAVEREN MALAV AUL DERECH ERETZ

THE FIGHT BRINGS NACHES TO HASHEM

I Already Blew It!(Part 1) 

Someone posted the following Chizuk on the forum from a Shmooze by R' Tzvi Meir Zilberberg:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Chozeh from Lublin, The Beer Mayim Chaim, R' Hershele of Ziditshov, R' Tzadok Hacohen and other tzadikim all said:

When a person feels "I blew it already, I messed up this time", and yet he still doesn't give up and keeps trying to salvage what he could - ignoring the fact that he already failed (R' Tvi Meir calls it "Kum B'palgus Laila - getting up in middle of the night" in the words of the Zohar Hakadosh), then the Nachas Ruach that he makes for Hashem is even greater than when one is completely successful. And this is the epitome of Shechina Ba'tochtonim (bringing the divine presence into the lower world) which we know is the purpose of creation.

This type of Avodah is the greatest form of mesirus nefesh, because it is completely against human nature, as there is no short term satisfaction.

This yesod is hinted to in parshas Vayishlach. The Pasuk says "Vayei'avek ish emo ad alos hashachar - and the Malach faught with him until the morning broke". Chazal say that the Lashon of "Vayei'avek" comes to teach us that "He'elu avak ad kisei hakavod - they lifted dust until the Throne of Glory". R' Tzvi Meir explains that through the struggle that Yaakov Avinu had with the "other side", he uplifted the lowest situations - the dust of the earth - all the way to the Kisei Hakavod!

As a matter of fact, we don't find any hint in the pasuk that Yaakov overpowered the malach. On the contrary, the malach actually wounded him. But because Yaakov wouldn't give up even after he was wounded, the "other side" was forced to "agree" to bless him. This is to show us (Maseh Avos Siman La'banim) that the tikun hashalem will ultimately come through our not giving up, even in a generation that is wounded by the Yetzer Hara! (According to many sefarim, the wounding of Yaakov's thigh symbolizes the difficult tests of our generation in the area of Yesod). 

SMALL MOVE HOW POWERFULL

The P'nei Menachem once related that after "The Big Fire" in Ger (I don't know when that was, but apparently it was a big fire) which burnt down the Sefas Emes's house and extensive library, the insurance company sent down assessors to determine the cause of the fire and to put a price tag on the damage.

Passing by them in the courtyard the Sefas Emes saw them conversing among themselves, and sent one of his aides over to see what they were discussing. The aide came back, and reported that in their professional opinion the fire was started by a carelessly discarded cigarette butt.

Said the Sefas Emes, "If one careless - seemingly insignificant - mishap, can wreak such destruction and devastation - How much more powerful and far reaching must the effects of a few small - but meaningful - steps taken in Avodas Hashem be!"

HASHEM IS IN THE DRIVER SEAT

Category: 12-step Attitude, Testimonials

Hashem is Holding Me
 

By "Hashem's Soldier"
 

I'm sure you've heard the famous poem about two sets of footprints in the sand... This guy died and went up to heaven and was looking back at his whole life and always saw two sets of footprints. And G-d told him that one of them is yours and one of them is mine, I always walked beside you. And the guy sees at one point only one set of footprints and says, "I KNEW IT, I KNEW THAT AT THOSE TIMES THINGS WERE SO DIFFICULT THAT I WOULD CRY OUT TO YOU AND I WOULD TRY SO HARD TO DO BETTER AND GET YOUR ATTENTION, BUT I NEVER GOT YOUR ATTENTION, I KNEW THAT YOU HAD LEFT ME!". And G-d responded to him and said, "those footsteps aren't your footsteps, they are my footsteps. I was holding you in my arms".

After years of trying to take control of my life and throw away this addiction, I joined the phone conferences with Duvid Chaim, and I am growing so much. I am learning to surrender to Hashem. I feel like the guy in the story, the only difference is that I don't feel abandoned by Hashem anymore. Now, instead of Hashem picking me up, I'm crawling onto his shoulders before he even needs to pick me up.

I have been doing much better this time around, I'm actually flying through the days. I'm not white-knuckling. I'm giving all of my struggles over to Hashem.

HOW TO RISE OUT OF THE 49 SHAR TUMAH AND FLY

Rav Moshe Weinberger - Shabbos Morning Drasha - Parshas Yisro - Learning to Fly

Below, please find a write-up of Rav Weinberger's Shabbos morning drasha from this Shabbos, Parshas Yisro. He has not yet reviewed this version so any mistakes are due to me. See here for past write-ups. Also, thousands of Rav Weinberger's shiurim are available online HERE.

Rav Moshe Weinberger

Parshas Yisro 5772

Learning to Fly

We know that the הקדמה, the introduction to a sefer is the נשמה, the soul of the sefer. Therefore, the psukim that introduce קבלת התורה, the Jewish people’s acceptance of the Torah, are the essence of what it means to receive the Torah. They teach us what we need to know to personally receive the Torah.

The הקדמה, introduction, to קבלת התורה, our acceptance of the Torah are the psukim (Shmos 19:5-6), “וִהְיִיתֶם לִי סְגֻלָּה מִכָּל-הָעַמִּים ... וְאַתֶּם תִּהְיוּ-לִי מַמְלֶכֶת כֹּהֲנִים וְגוֹי קָדוֹשׁ,” “and you shall be a treasured nation to me from all of the nations... and you shall be to me a kingdom of kohanim, a holy nation.” But the נשמה of the נשמה, the soul of the soul of our acceptance of the Torah is (Shmos 19:4) “וָאֶשָּׂא אֶתְכֶם עַל-כַּנְפֵי נְשָׁרִים וָאָבִא אֶתְכֶם אֵלָי,” “and I will lift you up on eagle’s wings and bring you to me.” We know how Rashi says that that this means that just as an eagle carries it babies on its back to protect them from arrows, Hashem protected us from the Egyptian’s arrows with the cloud of glory, but there is also a deeper message as well.

There is a seeming contradiction between the navi Yeshaya’s description of the angels in our Haftara and Yechezkel’s description. In Yeshaya 6:2, it says “שְׂרָפִים עֹמְדִים מִמַּעַל לוֹ שֵׁשׁ כְּנָפַיִם שֵׁשׁ כְּנָפַיִם לְאֶחָד בִּשְׁתַּיִם יְכַסֶּה פָנָיו וּבִשְׁתַּיִם יְכַסֶּה רַגְלָיו וּבִשְׁתַּיִם יְעוֹפֵף,” “the Seraphim stand above him with six wings for each one, he covered his face with two, he covered his feet with two, and he flew with two.” In Yechezekl 1:6, however, it says about the angels, “וְאַרְבַּע כְּנָפַיִם לְאַחַת לָהֶם,” “and each one had four wings.” How do we reconcile the four-winged angel of Yechezkel with the six-winged angel of Yeshaya?

The Gemara in Chagiga 13b answers this apparant contradiction by saying that “כאן בזמן שבהמ"ק קיים כאן בזמן שאין בית המקדש קיים כביכול שנתמעטו כנפי החיות,” “These [the six-winged angels of Yeshaya] were at the time when the Beis Hamikdash stood and these [the four-winged angels of Yechezkel] were at the time when the Bais Hamikdash no longer stood, because the wings of the Chayos had been diminished.” The angels had lost their wings. The Gemara continues by discussing which of the three sets of wings were lost. The mekubalim accept the opinion that it was the wings that allowed the angels to fly which were lost. It was this set of wings that they used to say שירה, their song to Hashem.

The seforim hakedoshim teach us that this teaches us not only about the status of the angels since the חורבן, the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash. It also teaches us that since that time, we have also, for the most part, lost the ability to fly, to soar above physicality and elevate ourselves above the world. There have been certain tzadkim, however, who have managed to get their wings back and soar. Rav Uri of Strelisk was known as the “Seraph,” the fiery angel. Rav Mendel of Kotzsk was also known as the “Seraph,” the fiery angel. In fact, there is a story that when Rav Mendel of Kotzsk’s son-in-law, the Avnei Nezer, lost his wife (the Kotzker’s daughter), the chevra kadisha brought him a sample text for her מצבה, headstone, which read “בת השרף,” “daughter of the Seraph.” The Avnei Nezer told them to make one change. The מצבה, headstone, should say “בת השרף המעופף,” “daughter of the flying Seraph.” As the Gemara in Sanhedrin 93a says, “גדולים צדיקים יותר ממלאכי השרת,” “tzadikim are greater than the ministering angels.” Human beings therefore can fly, just like the angels, if they guard their wings.

The misha in Avos (5:18) commands us, “הוי עז כנמר, וקל כנשר, ורץ כצבי, וגיבור כארי--לעשות רצון אביך שבשמיים,” “be as brazen as a leopard, as light as an eagle, run like a deer and be strong like a lion to do the will of your Father in heaven.” Why does it say to be as light as an eagle? There are many other birds, like the sparrow, which are lighter than an eagle. It must mean that despite the heaviness of the eagle, it is considered lighter because it has the strongest wings. The Mechilta D’Rabi Shimon Bar Yochai explains, “מה הנשר הזה עולה ממטה למעלה בשעה קצרה, כך ישראל עולין ממטה למעלה בשעה קצרה,” “just as the eagle goes from below to above in a very short time, so too the Jewish people go from below to above in a very short time.”

Hashem says “וָאֶשָּׂא אֶתְכֶם,” “I will lift you up” from the lowest point on the thirty-ninth level of impurity to the point of receving the Torah on Har Sinai in just a few weeks. This is the introduction to our acceptance of the Torah. Hashem is telling each one of us: “You are a Jew! You can fly! Despite all of the heaviness of the world, you have powerful wings and you can fly above everything. There is no website in the world that can tie you down. “אתה בחרתנו מכל העמים, אהבת אותנו ורצית בנו, ורממתנו מכל הלשונות,” “You chose us from all of the nations, you loved us, you wanted us, and you lifted us up from among the nations.”

The Alshich makes the following point: “קל כנשר, הנה ידענו כי אין בעוף יפרח כל כך גבוה מעל גבוה כנשר... והנה מי הכריחו לנשר לעשות מעל כולם, אם לא שרצה שיה"י הוא גבוה מכל יתר העופות. ואם כן, גם אתה כמו דרכיו... צא ולמד הנשר אשר לא ישקוט מלעשות, עד שיהי"ה למעלה מכל עוף כנף, ועשה כן גם אתה!!.” The eagle flies much higher than all other birds. But who told it that it could or should fly higher than everything else? It must be therefore that it possesses the inate knowledge and confidence that it cannot rest until it is flies higher than every other bird. You too must learn from the eagle, and must not be satisfied until you rise up above everything around you.

The Ramchal explains that because a person comes from dust and earth, there is a natural heaviness to a person. He feels weighted down and doesn’t want to trouble himself or do any hard work. So Hashem calls out to us, “Be as light as an eagle! Even though it is heavy, it has strong wings and it shakes off the dust and rises straight up to the heavens. You have wings and you must use them.

Rav Chaim Vital wrote in Shaarei Kedusha that the rectification for the element called “earth” is to be (Avos 4:1) “שמח בחלקו,” happy with one’s life. When a Jew rejoices in the mitzvos, these are the wings that will lift him out of the heaviness and allow him to fly.

My children once had a story book about an eagle’s nest high on a mountaintop. Something happened and the eagle’s egg rolled down to the bottom of the mountain to a chicken coop. One of the chickens sat on the egg until it hatched. The little eagle was different from the other chickens and didn’t quite fit in. He tried to peck at the ground and do what the other chickens were doing, but he just could not become like them. He was having a difficult time getting along with his adopted parents and siblings until one day, when he met an eagle family. Essentially, they asked him what he was doing hanging around with chickens pecking at the ground. “You’re an eagle! Why aren’t you flying to the highest heights?” Ultimately, he discovered that he could fly and left with his fellow eagles.

We are Jews. We must realize that we are not chickens. We do not need to peck around in the dust. Every adult should read Rav Kalonymous Kalmish Shapira’s introduction to Chovas Hatalmidim before becoming a parent. And every boy should read the first perek of Chovas Hatalmidim to learn what it means to be a Jew. There, the Rebbe writes:

We know that you’re still not quite sure about everything we’re saying here. We know that you’re still asking youself, “How is it possible to make such an elevated person out of me? Not only that, how can it be that while I am still young, I will become Hashem’s special, beloved child like they’re telling me? My parents and grandparents were not like that and I’m just a plain, ordinary child” But this way of thinking is also mistaken, and we can’t leave you with it, either... If you feel discouraged because your parents and grandparents were simple people, then elevate you viewport and look farther back. Who were your forefathers? The holy ones, the Nevi’im, Tanna’im, Amora’im, the Geonim and [many other] tzadikim. The Gemara (Pesachim 66a) says “If the Jews are not prophets, they are the children of prophets.” The Gemara is not talking about the distant past. It is teaching us that even now, today, in your heart and in the hearts of all Jewish children, there lies a spark that came from the Nevi’im. All you have to do is search for it and discover it in yourself.

Yechiel (?) (the Bar Mitzva boy), I have known your parents before you knew them. They have been flying and soaring higher and higher for a very long time. And I have talked to many of your father’s students and their parents and I know that he teaches Jewish children that they can fly.

Always remember that you can rise above the world around you and become great because you are a Jew and you have wings. Don’t be a chicken pecking around on the ground. Set your sights high and become great. אי"ה, you and all of us together should be זוכה, merit to return to ארצנו הקדושה, Eretz Yisroel, on eagles wings בבאת גואל צדק שיבא במהרה בימנו אמן.

HOW TO WIN THE WAR AND KILL THE YH

How to get Hashem to Fight for Us

The Yetzer Hara is stronger than us. We have no hope of beating him alone. After all, he was created by Hashem, so it's like trying to fight Hashem himself! The only way we can win him over, is when Hashem himself steps in to fight for us. But how do we get Hashem to do this for us? 

I saw a beautiful piece in the Sefer "Shamati" from the Ba'al Hasulam that sheds light on this great question. David Hamelech writes in Tehillim, "Ohavei Hashem sinu Ra, shomer nafshos chasidav miyad reshayim yatzeileim - Those who love Hashem hate evil, He guards the souls of his righteous, from the hand of the Reshayim he saves them". The Ba'al Hasulam explains that "evil" refers to the Ratzon Lekabel which is "the desire to receive" that was implanted in every person by Hashem so that He can ultimately bestow all his good upon us. However, it is this very Ratzon Lekabel that separates us from Hashem, since it makes us "wanters" and "takers", while Hashem is the very opposite of that, He only wants to "give". Just like two people who like opposite things can't be friends, and conversely, two people who like exactly the same things, become very close. Therefore, explains the Ba'al Hasulam, true Deveikus with Hashem can only be achieved when a person breaks his Ratzon Lekabel and insists that he wants to be like Hashem. This means not to be a "taker" but only to be a "giver", to give of himself to others, and to live for Hashem and give Him a Nachas Ruach.
 

The problem is, no one can break the Ratzon Lekabel. It is the very nature of our existence and it was put in place by Hashem himself. How can one break his very nature? So the Pasuk reveals to us the secret: "Those who love Hashem", says the Pasuk, "hate evil". Hashem doesn't ask of us to break the Yetzer Hara, he asks us only to HATE IT. When we recognize how this Ratzon Lekabel has been the cause of every misfortune and evil that has ever befallen man, we begin to HATE IT. When we realize that it is only the Ratzon Lekabel that seperates between us and Hashem - like a stone wall, we begin to HATE IT. And when we finally hate the Ratzon Lekabel with a passion, the Pasuk continues: "He guards the souls of his righteous, from the hands of the evil ones he saves them".

HASHEM HELP ME BEAT THE BEAST

Maharal: The Secret to Beating the Yetzer Hara

Someone pointed out to me a beautiful piece from the Maharal (Netiv Koach Hayetzer, Perek 4). The relevant Hebrew text can be downloaded here.

The Maharal writes something that sounds very simple, yet he claims that it is the deepest secret to understanding the battle with the Yetzer Hara. The Maharal writes, that as long as a person believes he can overcome the Yetzer Hara himself, he will fail. This is because he is pitting his strength against the strength of the Yetzer Hara, like two people who are fighting with each other. The Yetzer Hara is an angel of G-d, and we are mere mortals. Obviously, the angel will overcome the mortal. The only one who is stronger than this angel is Hashem himself. He alone can help us overcome the Yetzer Hara.

HOW TO STOP THE MAKOS

What does Yetziyas Mitzrayim and Kriyas Yam Suf

it really is.

 

At first, we refuse to give up our "self-will" on our own - and we let ourselves become enslaved to Pharaoh more and more. After making enough bad choices, often our "free-will" is taken away from us "vayachbed Hashem es Libo" and we no longer have the choice to simply give up the "Jewish People" to serve Hashem, no matter how smitten we feel. Hashem "hardens our (read: the addiction's) heart", for the purpose of showing His true strength. As Hashem said to Pharaoh, "For this alone I have kept you, to show you my strength"...

Until finally, when Hashem sends "Kol Magefosai el Libecha" - and we understand that we literally stand before life and death (step 1 of the 12-Steps), are we finally willing to "Give Up" our will to Hashem and let the "Jewish people" go serve their G-d (steps 2 - 3).

All those times that we tried to stop and couldn't - in spite of receiving Makka after Makka; all the "hardening of our hearts" that Hashem did to us - served one purpose only. We now know clearly that we can NOT do it on our own. The "hardening of our hearts" (i.e. the baffling power of the addiction - and the first 9 Makkos we got), show us clearly that we are powerless to "release" the Jewish people (read: our self will) on our own. Only when that 10^th and final Makka hits us and we see that major parts of us - our lives, our families and all that is precious to us, is being flushed down the toilet of our addiction - and we finally feel that we stand before life and death, are we finally able to admit defeat and let HASHEM take the Jewish people out.

At that point we are willing to admit that we can't on our own, and that only Hashem can. And so we give over our will to Hashem and let Him take over. (Step 3)

Or so we think.

As we leave Mitzrayim (our self-will) behind, we enter the barren desert and try to let Hashem run things, for a change. But our addiction (self-will) suddenly can't deal with the new reality. How can we follow G-d into the wilderness? We have lived our entire lives on "self-will"! And so we find ourselves standing before the Yam Suf. Our addiction / self-will is chasing us from behind and we know clearly that if it catches up to us again, we are doomed to eternal servitude - and death. But in front of us stands the sea. If we enter there, we will surely drown!

And so we cry out to G-d from the depths of our hearts. "Father, I can't go back there any more, but I can't move forward either!"

Answers Hashem, "It is for this moment I have waited, my dear son. Why do you cry to me? Let go and let G-d. Trust in me completely and just MOVE FORWARD. "Daber el Benai Yisrael Vi'sa'u!"

And so we enter the water until our necks, with complete faith and trust - against all our instincts, and the miracle of Kriyas Yam Suf occurs!

We see that we do not drown, after all. We are walking on "dry land" amidst the sea. We really CAN leave Mitzrayim! We really can give up our self-will completely!

As long as we know 100 percent that it is Hashem who is in charge, and it is Hashem who is holding us, we discover the miracle of walking on dry land amidst the sea!

And with this realization, we finally witness our "self-will" (addiction) drown forever in the waters that we thought would drown us.

And our hearts fill with true joy and we sing the Shira - "Az Yashir" in future tense, because each and every Jew will undergo this process, somehow or another. Each and every Jew will one day sing this praise to Hashem, where he finally recognizes and understands how all the suffering he underwent until now, was only to bring him to complete dependence and trust in Hashem. "Hashem is Milchama, Hashem Shemo!"

And with these newly found "G-d strengths", we are able to follow Hashem into the wilderness where He is a pillar of fire and warmth in the nights (symbolizing all the hard bumps of life), and He is a Sukka of Ananei Hakavod by day... (symbolizing the good times, when we truly feel G-d's loving embrace)...

And we return to our "youthful" trust in Hashem, "Zacharti Lach Chesed Ne'urayich... Lech Tech Acharai Bamidbar..." And our loving Father protects us in the desert from all harm and "turns the rock into a pool of water, stone to springs of water" - and feeds us Manna from the sky, one day at a time.

And now we are ready to receive Torah

have to do with us?

Every human being needs to ultimately undergo a Yetziyas Mitzrayim and Kriyas yam Suf of sorts, sooner or later. Mitzrayim symbolizes "Self-Will", which we are all slaves to from birth, and "leaving Mitzrayim" symbolizes giving over our will to Hashem. Pharaoh symbolizes our "self-will". And he won't let us go and serve Hashem until he has "hit bottom" big time. That is why Yetziyas Mitzrayim is mentioned no less than 50 times in the Torah. This is what it's all about, folks.

With addicts, the process of Yetziyas Miztrayim is much clearer to see. If used correctly, the addiction can expedite our personal and spiritual growth to the highest levels, if we learn to view the process for what

Y.H THE SWEET TALKER

The Smooth Talking Bandit

An approximate translation of a Zohar (Parshas VaYerah):

Rabbi Yitzchak says. To what is the Yetzer Hara similar? To a band of highway robbers who murder and steal from people. They take a man from their ranks who is a smooth talker, and they stake him out on the highway. And there he awaits people on the road and goes out to greet them, pretending to be a poor man who wants to be their servant and friend, until the people believe him and trust in his love and in what he says. And he brings them with his smooth talking to the place where the robbers are waiting, and in the end, he is the first one to kill them and rob them of all they have, after he gives them over into the hands of the robbers. And the people cry out, "woe to us that we listened to this man and to his smooth tongue".

And after the robbers have killed these people, this same man goes up from there again to stand on the highway and convince others to follow him. What do the wise men do? When they see this man coming towards them and enticing them, they know him and know that he is trying to trap their very souls, and they kill him and take a different route.

So it is with the Yetzer Hara. He comes up from the band of robbers - from Gehinnom - towards men, to entice them with the sweetness of his words. And the fools believe in him and in his love, and he makes himself as their servant. He gives them beautiful women who are prohibited, he gives them people to harm, he takes off the yoke of Torah and the yoke of Heaven from them. And the foolish trust in his love until he goes with them and brings them to the path where the bandits await; the way to Gehinom, where there is nowhere to turn right or left [to escape]. And when he gets there with them, he is the first to kill them, and he turns into the angel of death and takes them into Gehinom and brings down the angels of destruction upon them, and they cry and shout, "woe to us that we listened to this one". But it doesn't help them [for Teshuvah and regret no longer help in the world to come]. Afterwards, he goes up from Gehinom and entices others. But the wise, when they see him, they recognize him and overpower him until they control him. And they turn from that path and go on another path to be saved from him.

GET UP LIKE A LION

AND DEAL WITH YH LIKE A LLION WITH OUT MERCY

GET YOUR MIND WORKING SPEAK TO HASHEM

SPEAK TO HASHEM QUICKLY TO GET OUT OF THE RUT

THE CONSTANT CONNECTION

It's All About Connection

Before the Yidden entered Eretz Yisrael, Moshe Rabbeinu said to them (Devorim 7:22): "And Hashem will wipe out the goyim from before you slowly but surely, but you cannot destroy them quickly, lest the animals of the field increase upon thee". I always wondered about this. After all, if Hashem can bring the 10 plagues on Egypt and split the sea, why can't he wipe out the goyim in Eretz Yisrael in one fell swoop? Is Hashem really worried about the increase of the animals? Is that something harder to deal with then getting rid of these great nations?

 

It occurred to me that maybe there is a far deeper meaning here. All the creations of the world have a connection to Hashem based on their needs. The more someone "needs" Hashem, the more connection they have with him. Hashem told the snake after the sin of the Etz Hada'as "and you shall eat the dust of the earth all the days of your life", and Rashi explains that Hashem wanted no connection with the snake and therefore gave him his food wherever he goes. However, the other animals of the field need to ask Hashem for food every day, as it says in Tehillim, "Livakesh Mikel Ochlam - to ask from Hashem their food".

 

Hashem wanted human beings to have even more connection with Him than the animals do, and therefore humans don't have a natural way to get food like the animals do, but rather, they are dependant on owning land, toiling the soil, rainfall, and on a good crop and harvest. One of the praises mentioned of Eretz Yisrael is "Limtar Hashamayim Tishteh Mayim - From the heavens you will drink water", and the Pasuk goes on to say - "Eretz Yisrael is not like Eretz Mitzrayim which drinks like a watered garden from the Nile". But why is that a praise? It would seem that Mitzrayim is more fortunate than Israel! The answer is, that Hashem wants more of a connection with us than he wants with the Egyptians. To them, he gave the Nile river so that they don't need rain fall at all and don't need to come on to Hashem as much at all. However, Eretz Yisrael drinks from the heavens, and like it says; "the eyes of Hashem are on the land [of Israel] from the beginning of the year until the end". Eretz Yisrael needs special divine intervention for water, and the praise of this is that the Jewish people living there are always dependant on Hashem for rainfall and therefore remain strongly connected with Him. After all, like it says (Devarim 6:11), "and you will receive buildings that you didn't build, wells which you didn't dig, vineyards that you didn't plant, etc..." So the Yidden will have everything they need in Eretz Yisrael. If they weren't dependant on Hashem at least for rainfall, they would no longer need Hashem and quickly forget Him.

 

The same applies to our enemies. And that is why it says, that although Hashem will wipe out the goyim from before us slowly but surely, still, He will not destroy them in one swoop - "lest the animals of the field increase upon thee". What that perhaps means is, that if Hashem would wipe out our enemies all at once, we would no longer feel dependant on Him. The words "lest the animals of the field increase upon thee" mean to hint perhaps, that if Hashem would destroy our enemies quickly then even the animals of the field would "increase" over us, meaning that the animals would have even more of a connection with Hashem than we would.

 

And that is why Hashem has given us the Yetzer Hara as well. He wants a connection with us! He wants us to know that we need Him, and that without his constant help, we are lost. And that is also why Hashem doesn't destroy the Yetzer Hara in one fell swoop once a person decides to do Teshuvah. Instead, each time we think we got rid of him, he keeps coming back again and again. Only "slowly but surely" does Hashem wipe him out from before us. For if Hashem would get rid of the Yetzer Hara all at once, we wouldn't need Hashem any more and we wouldn't feel dependant on him. And this "connection" that we have to Hashem through our struggles with the Yetzer Hara, is even more important to Hashem than the falls that we have as a result of Him not removing the Yetzer Hara altogether, as soon as we want to do Teshuvah.

 

To sum it all up: The most important thing to Hashem is not our progress in destroying the Yetzer Hara, but rather our dependency on Him, and our constant knowledge that we need Hashem every day anew to help us succeed against our #1 enemy.

HOT AIR BALLON

The Prankster
From Reb Nachman's Wisdom #6

 

The evil urge is similar to a prankster running through a crowd showing his tightly closed hand. No one knows what it is he is holding. He goes up to each person and asks, "What do you suppose I have in my hand?" Each person imagines that the closed hand has in it just what he desires most. They all hurry and run after the prankster. Then, when he has tricked them enough, that they are following him, he opens his hand. It is completely empty! The same is true of the evil one. He tricks the world, fooling them into following him. Everyone thinks that his hand contains what they need. In the end, the evil one opens his hand. There is nothing in it and no desire is ever fulfilled. Worldly pleasures are just like sunbeams in a dark room. They may actually seem solid, but when a person tries to grasp a sunbeam they find nothing in their hand. The same is true of all worldly desires.

THE 10 MIN RULE

DAY # 1 DAY 2 day 3

ITS ALL ONE BIG # 1

ALL THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON IS ALL INCLUDED IN HASHEM THERE IS NOTHING OUT OF HIS REACH ,THERE IS NO POWER OR ANY LIVING ELSE THATS NOT HIM

DONT OPEN THE DOOR A CRACK

IF YOU LET HIN IN A CRACK YOU WILL BE DOWN IN A MINUTE

EVREY SECOND YOU HAVE A CHOICE TO MAKE

EVERY SECOND YOU HAVE A CHOICE TO GO UP OR DOWN ,TO GO THE RIGHT WAY OR WRONG DON'T FORGET EACH DECISION WILL MAKE LONG TERM EFFECT