Rabbi Dr. Avraham Twerski

We read in Genesis that after Adam sinned, he tried to hide in the Garden of Eden. Was Adam so foolish to think that he could hide from God? Certainly not! He was hiding from himself, because it was himself that he could no longer confront. God's question to him was very pertinent: "I am here. I ...

The issue of "addiction" vs. ;"Yetzer Hara, ;Aveiros and ;Teshuvah" has been discussed many times before on GYE, with me as a participant, too. I ;love these issues, as they touch on the core of recovery for me and what it has done for my life, my wife's life, and the lives of my children. I am a...

At the Agudah Convention in New York, 2009, ;Rabbi Twerski endorsed the idea of 12 step programs, saying "they work" and denying that they need to have a Christian component. ;Each of the steps they entail, he said, "is in Chazal." Rabbi Twerski also put out a book called ;"Self Improvement? I'm ...

We wrote an e-mail to Rabbi Twerski: Dear Rabbi Twerski, Here's a PDF file called "The GYE Lighthouse" (right-click and press "Save Target/Link As"). It has a link to a short audio clip from a ;speech ;that the Rav recently gave (on Chanukah). It also documents a few of the many cries for help th...

Dear Rabbi Twerski, There was a lively discussion on our forum ;over here recently about whether or not we should tell children how babies are born, and at what age, and how much to reveal, etc... If the Rav has time to read some of the points of view that were expressed on the forum (my own incl...

Now that it is Chanuka, there is a ;tikkun, that after lighting the Chanuka candles (or oil), one should look at the lights and meditate, ;"hanerot hallalu kodesh heim - these lights are holy." The sefarim say that they represent the original light of creation. Concentrating on the ;kedusha of th...

I learned much from working with an addicted population. I know how you celebrate an Independence Day. Parades, picnics, hot-dogs, patriotic speeches, and fireworks-that's it. Whoever heard of an Independence Day that lasts a week, and for which you must prepare weeks in advance, cleaning the hou...

From a great ;article on Vosizneias.com by Rabbi/Dr. Abraham Twerski. One day I attended a meeting of recovering alcoholics. The speaker was a young woman of thirty-five. She had started drinking at twelve and drugging at fifteen. This led to delinquent, decadent behavior. In spite of suffering ...

Hashem instructs Moshe to tell the Children of Israel, "Kedoshim tihiyu, you shall be holy," but does not specify what one must do to be holy. Rashi says that this means one must abstain from immoral behavior. Ramban says that it means one should restrain oneself from indulging in permissible ple...

"Shovavim" - which stands for the first letters of the Parshios Shemos through Mishpatim - is a time of calling for Teshuva, as the Pasuk says ;"Shuvu Banim Shovavim - Return, wayward children!" ;This period covers the servitude of Mitzrayim and the subsequent redemption. Below, we bring a nice q...