The Library

I got a sort of halacha question. I know and feel like I'm in serious danger of falling right now, and I want to know if it's allowed for me to "reward" myself by doing wasting seed with my wife. Like if I can go 6 months without falling, then can I in turn do something t...

RABBI YEHOSHUA KAGANOFF Passaic, NJ 07055 201-953-2703 20 Sivan, 5776 / 26 June ‘16 Below is the pertinent part of my responsum to a highly regarded, prominent Talmid Chochom Posek, which is found on pg 158 of my sefer on addiction and halocho. I have translated (and ann...

GYE saved my life, my children, and my upcoming דורות. My first language is not English, so I signed also up on the Yiddish forum. There, I found a rabbi who understands people very well, and he opened the world to me. B"H, I'm growing and growing, so I wanna thank you a...

Parshas Beha'aloscha describes in great detail how, when the cloud lifted, the Jews would journey, and, when it came down, they would camp. It repeats this again and again. The Nesivos Shalom learns from this a lesson in avodas Hashem: There are times in our lives, whe...

I am not "on board" anymore because, BH, I don't have Internet access anymore. But the sobriety I picked up while on board stayed with me. I am working the program and enjoying recovery one day at a time. I appreciate GYE. It saved me from hitting lower bottoms... Seeing ads about GYE over the years brought me to its doors when I truly needed it, and would've been completely lost otherwise. Is there anything I can do to give back to GYE and its community, something that doesn't require Internet access? Thanks! Yiddishemomy  

    GYE has been of great assistance to me in my journey to free myself from pornography, and I could not be more pleased with the site as a whole. I have told some of my friends about the site. Todah rabah! Nehemiya    

As the result of these letters, an Asifa (gathering) for Rabbonim was convened (summer ’11) in Lakewood. Rabbi Dr. Avrohom J. Twerski presented some basic information concerning addictions to this Asifa. This same summer the “Chosson Rebbes” of BMG were also addressed on...

It is important that we differentiate between recovery work and “Teshuvah”, otherwise we are implying that addiction is essentially sinning, which is a Pandora's box, of sorts. I insist that addiction and recovery are Derech Eretz issues rather than Torah ones, and tha...

Rarely do climbers stare up to see how far away the top still is. Instead, when they rest, they look down toward the starting point of their journey. The view they see assures them that they have already come a long, long way. Like the climbers, we need to keep our eye...

One Motzai Shabbos I was lusting pretty hard and I felt needed to watch some Shmutz, but I didn't have a smartphone. So I went to a store near me (the only one that was opened that late) and picked a smartphone that I wanted to buy, but it was out of stock. I tried the ne...

Thanks for reaching out to me! I use the calendar on my "kosher" phone. Your site is extremely helpful, and I have been working with Duvid Chaim that you have referred me to him. Talking of him, there are no words that can be used in an email about how wonderful he was in changing around my life in 360 degrees. Keep up your great work! Klal Yisroel really needs it like never before. Thanks, Avrumy G

Rabbi Kaganoff's "Addictions: Halocho and Hashkofo." This book is a few hundred pages long, but if you have the time and the patience, you will find most of your concerns with the 12 steps, attending meetings, etc. adequately addressed. In particular, the question "Are th...

Remember that addiction is incurable, progressive, and fatal.

Many first-timers are amazed by the cordial, relaxed atmosphere of 12-step meetings and the eclectic mix of people in attendance. Firstly, you should know that are two types of "traditional" 12-Step support group meetings: open and closed. Open meetings are for anyone wh...

I'm sitting on the bus, dealing with some unforeseen challenge to shmirat einayim, and I decided to click in to GYE - that focused me in a totally different direction. After several high quality articles, the daily chizuk, the shmirat einayim stories, great piece in He...

Torah Perspectives on the Twelve StepsIn this section we will analyze the Twelve Step program of addictions and recovery from a Torah perspective. In recent years the Twelve Step program has become widely accepted both in Israel and in the Jewish world. Our goal is to cla...

After being sober for almost a year and just falling recently again, I want to share what I think the main point in our struggle is. I have no doubt that one of the main reasons I fell is because I got comfortable in this struggle. Not only did I get comfortable, I WAN...

This morning, as I was driving to work, cars zipping by me, a furry little squirrel streaked in front of my car. I gasped, but it was instantaneous. Looking in horror in my mirror, I saw its crushed body, saw it lift its head confusedly and fall limply back down. My heart...