The Library

There is a very interesting thing about the way we count the Omer. The natural way of counting towards an event is by counting down. When one looks forward to a significant day, one counts off the days remaining between the present and that day. In contrast, when we count...

This comes from the book called 'timeless seasons' by Rabbi Pinchos Roberts, but I figure most people haven't heard of it and it is SO relevant to us. How come ALL the Jews, without exception, accepted the Torah at Har Sinai? In parshas Vo'eschanan (Devorim 4:35), Moshe r...

We say in Hallel (1st paragraph): "Mi K'Hashem Elokeinu hamagbili lashoves, hamashpili lirois bashomayim uvo'aretz, mikimi meophor dol, mei'ashpois yorim evyoin - Who is like Hashem our G-d, who is enthroned on high, yet brings Himself down to look at the heavens and the ...

"Bayom Hazeh Ba'u Midbar Sinai - on this day, they came to the desert of Sinai". Chazal say (Shabbos 86b) that we arrived at Midbar Sinai on Rosh Chodesh Sivan. The next Pasuk repeats: "Va'yisu Merifidim, Vayavo'u Midbar Sinai - And they traveled from Refidim, and they ca...

With the counting of sefiras haomer, we are celebrating the switch from harvesting barley... to harvesting wheat. Barley is coarse animal food. It represents animalistic traits. Everyone can be an animal with no effort. Eating, lusting, sleeping, etc. are all animalistic ...

Today is Yesod Sh'b'Yesod in the Seffirah. The word Yesod means "Connection". Every human has an inborn subconscious need for connection to something "bigger" than themselves. Often this need is misinterpreted and we try to fill it with money, honor and pleasures. See thi...

On the day that Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai passed away, he revealed many great secrets of the Torah which had been hidden in his heart until this day. The secrets he revealed can be found in the "Idra Zuta" in Parshas Ha'azinu. The Idra Zuta discusses the parallels between t...

We are standing at the door of Lag B'Omer. Many of us will be heading to Meron. What is the message of this hidden Yom Tov? How do we, who struggle with the Yetzer Hara, gain chizuk and apply it in a practical way? My zayde, the Kedushas Levy, has the answer. It says in t...

A little cheshbon hanefesh and hakaras hatov likras lel hashloshim that I am clean. It is symbolic that this number which is considered significant in the recovery process, happened to fall out lel pesach sheni. Pesach sheni is the day of a second chance and so is GYE a s...

Yesterday I was on the verge of acting-out. Everything was going wrong at once. I posted my frustration on the forum and I decided to check my E-mail one last time before shutting down.And there was the Chizuk e-mail with the article, "How to do a real fall".I read it. I ...

In honor of GYE's B-day and the special segulah for renewal on this day, let us all try to renew our commitment to guarding our eyes. Here's one idea of a Kabbala that can be very helpful in this regard: "I am mikabel upon myself until after Tisha Be'av, to donate $2 to G...

The original Guardureyes.com website was launched on the 22nd of Tamuz - exactly four years ago. The Yartzeit of Rav Shlomo Karliner is also today, on the 22nd Tamuz. Tzadikim say that although the 3 weeks are generally a bad time to start anything new, the day of Rav Shl...

The Zohar (in Chelek Beis, pg 78b) writes that Yakov Avinu took the months of Nissan and Iyar for himself (hence Yetziyas Mitzrayim, Kabbalas Hatorah), and Eisav took the months of Tamuz and Av for himself (and hence, the 17th of Tamuz and Tisha Be'av), but only the first...

Today is the fast of the 17th of Tammuz which commemorates the breaching of the walls of Jerusalem, leading to the subsequent fall of the Beis Hamikdash. Let us all stop and ask ourselves: "What behaviors breach our walls and lead to subsequent falls?" LET'S MAKE SURE OUR...

Only With Hashem's Power There is a fundamental and elementary piece from the holy Ohr Hachayim in (Acharei Mos, 18:2) that gives a clear perspective on the powerful nature of these desires, and helps us understand how Hashem expects us to remain holy in spite of it being...

The Beis Ahron of Karlin writes that Torah and Mitzvos need to feel fresh and new in our eyes every day. So he asks, how can we instill this in our hearts? Answers the Beis Ahron, we can learn a Kal Ve'Chocher from the Yetzer Hara himself. The Yetzer Hara tempts a person ...

Q. "I wanted to ask you what you thought about the fanatical separation of men and women in Arab countries. Is this the ideal for Jews as well in terms of separation of the sexes?" A. The approach in Judaism is not one of extreme separation from the temptations of this ...

"Bayom Hazeh Ba'u Midbar Sinai - on this day, they came to the desert of Sinai". Chazal say (Shabbos 86b) that we arrived at Midbar Sinai on Rosh Chodesh Sivan,TODAY. The next Pasuk repeats: "Va'yisu Merifidim, Vayavo'u Midbar Sinai - And they traveled from Refidim, and t...