Pesach

The Seder is not just a memorial to events of the distant past - it is a dynamic process of freedom from the challenges of the present. We are slaves. Slaves to our own addictions, habits, inhibitions, fears, cynicism and prejudices. These self-appointed pharaohs are laye...

Excerpts below taken from an article on www.jewishsexuality.com Our Sages tell us that we were redeemed from Egypt due to the merit of the two mitzvot (commandments) which G-d commanded us to perform on the eve of our departure - the Paschal sacrifice and the brit milah. ...

The Israelites had to rush out of Egypt so fast, they didn't have time for their bread to rise. Why? Does that make sense? What was the rush exactly? The Egyptians had just been blasted with ten plagues as divine punishment for holding the Israelites captive, they were mo...

Pesach cleaning is underway in all Jewish households around the world. As we toil to clean our houses from leaven, we are in parallel also cleansing ourselves from the evil inclination, which is symbolized by the leaven. We are toiling to break free of the evil one, in an...

The more we understand the underlying message the 12-Steps represent, the more we can understand the underlying message of Yetzias Mitzrayim as well. Those who work the 12-Steps into their lives, claim that they no longer have to fight the Yetzer Hara; Hashem does it for...

The 3rd step states: "We made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him". In the past we tried to explain how this works: Instead of retaining the lust and trying to give up our will to Hashem, we surrender the lust itself to ...

We have previouly discussed how the 12-Steps give us a set of guidelines that are basic foundations of what it means to be a human being - created in the image of G-d. We have also discussed that it is only after our foundations are solid that can we begin to build on top...

Today, Yaakov is doing fantastically well and is helping us inspire many other strugglers on the forum. Hi, I am new to this forum. I have been reading some of your posts in the past few weeks as I was trying to get acquainted with the site and I have been so inspired. I ...

Now is the time. Shvi'i shel Pesach. Klal Yisrael is standing on the edge of the Yam Suf. Mitzrayim is pursuing us. We are surrounded on all sides by the Yetzer Hara, but the Ge'ulah is on hand. Yidden! We are a step away from Az Yashir (Lashon Asid - which is NOW), the t...

"Ano-nymous" posted on the forum: Tomorrow is 20 weeks clean for me! My goal is no more lusting and I feel like I am almost there. When I say lusting, I am referring to the act of thinking bad thoughts or staring at women for the sole purpose of getting that 'tingly feeli...

We received an e-mail this morning from someone, full of pain and disillusionment. He claims that he felt uninspired by the 'once-in-28-years' Birchas Hachama this morning and he doesn't feel inspired from Pesach either. He hates learning Gemara and he feels that in gener...

Question: Why did Hashem tell Moshe to tell Pharaoh that the Jewish people just wanted to just leave "derech shloshes yamim - a way of three days" to serve Hashem, making it sound like we were planning to come back? Indeed when we finally left, Pharaoh sent spies after us...

"Pesach" is called so because Hashem "jumped over the houses of the bnei Yisrael when he smote the Mitzri'im". In Avodas Hashem, "Yisrael" symbolizes our "Aliyos" i.e. where we succeed in serving Hashem, and the Mitzri'im symbolize the Yeridos which occur in between each ...

Dov wrote: Life was and is so much better without lust - the thing I was convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that I couldn't live without! Today life is real, it's geshmak, it's useful, it's real, it's consumingly interesting and full of surprises, and... did I say that ...

In honor of the Yom Tov Pesach, I will present a wonderful story with a powerful lesson. Close your eyes and travel with me back to my Zaide's Shul in the city of Bardichev. The seder table is set regally. The Matzos, the wine, the Kaara. The participants are anxiously aw...

There is a moment in addiction that can change everything. It's the moment of truth. Once the pain of 'using' finally forces a radical shift in the mind of the addict, he cries: "It's over! I want out." Then there is a brief window of opportunity to act upon promptly. Has...

In regard to the "Mayim Shelanu" that is drawn before sunset today for the baking of the "Erev pesach" Matzos tomorrow, the Kedushas Levi writes the following beautiful idea. He says that on Rosh Hashana we do "Tashlich", throwing our Aveiros into the sea. Rosh Hashana is...

Hey guys, today is day 56 clean. I can't believe how good you made me feel, all of you. I feel like a drunkie these days, like I had at least a full gallon of Vodka. I'm in a great mood, I'm being mechazek everyone, I pray much deeper, I feel just happy to be a Jew and to...