The Library

We think we have it hard with Shmiras Ainayim and Shmiras Habris. And sometimes we do. But take a look below at the mesirus nefesh and love for Hashem's mitzvos of a simple Jew, just 65 years ago. It makes me so ashamed.

If shmiras ainayim seems so hard, take minute and think about how often you are really tested each day. Most people will find that they have tests in shmiras ainayim only a few times a day, for short periods of time. If you look at it in the context of 24 hours, it's rea...

The word "Shavuos" is a double meaning, it translates both as "Weeks" and "Vows". Chaza"l say that on Shavuos there was a double vow; 1) the Jewish people vowed never to leave G-d, and 2) G-d vowed never to leave the Jewish people. We spoke last time about the power of vo...

Tonight is the holiday of Shavuos. "Shavuos" also means "Vows". Perhaps this is an indication that through "Vows", one can uphold the Torah that we receive on Shavuos. We read in this week's Parsha "ish ki yafli lindor neder La'hashem" - "a person who separates himself t...

A friend of mine told me a story that happened with him. He is a a Sefardic man, a Ba'al Teshuvah, who was sitting and learning Torah for many years in Kollel. He has a very strong Emunah and humility about him. About 12 years ago he found a hidden Tzadik in Tel Aviv who ...

Someone wrote us recently a list of questions on Shemirat Habris and we tried to answer as best we could. Perhaps we can all learn something from this exchange.... 1) How do you know that you have rectified the brit if you have done Teshuvah after wasting seed? Teshuvah i...

Indented words are excerpts taken from www.jewishsexuality.com The week of Yesod in the Sefirat HaOmer corresponds to the rectification of the holy bris. Today is Malchus She'biyesod. "Malchus" is the all-inclusive day, which is the highlight and culmination of the week o...

A pre-Yom-Kippur Battle-Cry from "battleworn" on the forum. Dear Holy Brothers, Precious Yidden, great warriors, Yesterday we read in the Haftoroh, "Shuva Yisroel ad Hashem Elokecha Ki Chashalta Baovonecha". The Gemarah points out that "avon" refers to sinning intentional...

"Rabbeinu Yonah discusses various barriers to teshuva in Sha'arei Teshuva. But perhaps the greatest barrier most of us experience is a lack of belief in our capacity to change"... Yonason Rosenblum in an article on www.matzav.com. (Click here for the full article).   The ...

Taken from an article by Rabbi Avi Shafran on www.Matzav.com. (Click here for the full article). Among the collected letters of Rav Yitzchok Hutner, zt"l, is one that was written to a talmid whose own, earlier, letter to the Rosh Yeshiva had apparently evidenced the stu...

Battleworn posted his story on the forum, and he writes one of the best pieces of Chizuk that he heard as a Bachur, which helped him not to give up: I heard back then, I think in the name of R' Abramski zt'l, what I think might be the most important yesod in chizuk. He sa...

Dear Yidden, This morning on Erev Rosh Hashana, we stopped by the Kever of Shmuel Hanavi and I davened for all of us... I mentioned all the "spiritual" names on our forum that I could remember, Mevakesh, Chasdei Avos, Jack, Snax, Battleworn, Me, Elya, Niceguy (ben Nicedad...

A Jew needs to use both the attributes of humility AND haughtiness - but both, for the service of Hashem! As the Pasuk says "Vayigbah Libo Bedarkei Hashem" - "and his heart was proud in the ways of Hashem" (about one of the kings of Klal Yisrael). One of the previous Karl...

"Battleworn" posted something really nice today on the forum to strengthen a fellow struggler: The fact that you are struggling is not a chidush (it's nothing new). But the fact the you're waging war against such a powerful force, now that's a chidush. And that you haven'...

When we say "no" to the Yetzer Hara and we feel pain, that is not our pain. That is the Yetzer Hara in pain. We are striking HIM where it hurts. And sometimes, when it takes real Messiras Nefesh to turn away from the bad things we used to do, that taste of "death" we may ...

Dear members of our Chizuk list! I must share with you what's happening lately on the GUE Forum, especially now, so close to Rosh Hashana. The other night, I was reading out loud from the forum to my wife what everyone had written just recently, and after a few minutes I ...

When Moshiach comes - any day now, G-d willing, we will yearn for the days when we had the struggle, when the struggle was so real. There is no greater connection with Hashem than when a person feels that he needs Hashem every second to save him. The Sefer Shamati (from t...

I want to share with you today this thread from our Forum: Suffer Yisroel writes: I want to share a technique that was very helpful to me when I wanted to stop masturbating once and for all. I committed to myself that every time I lose myself and do it I would give a subs...