Series

The sefer Veha'er Eineinu (Enlighten our Eyes) was written by Rabbi Yosef Shlomo Goldschmidt of Kiryat Sefer. It contains tremendous chizuk and down-to-earth advice on how to guard our eyes in today’s world, as well as a valuable compilation of sources from Chazal, Rishon...

Part 1 - The Greatest Opportunity of All Time Chapter 1 - A Life-Changing Perspective There is a little secret the yetzer hara doesn’t want you to know. It’s the secret that spells his doom. And it’s the secret that will change your destiny. Our generation faces challenge...

Today we begin the cycle of e-mails from the book called "Windows of the Soul", by Rabbi Zvi Miller of the Salant Foundation.   The Image of Hashem The beginning of spirituality is the clear recognition of our good and holy souls - the very essence of our being. The more ...

The Talmud tells us that when Alexander the Great reached the gate of Gan Eden, he called out, "Open the gate for me!" To his chagrin, he was turned away with the response, "This is the gate to Hashem, only the righ­teous may enter." Alexander retorted, "I am a king of g...

What is so bad about admiring women? Shouldn't I appreciate my wife? The source of the restriction of not looking at a woman if she is immodestly dressed is the Biblical verse, "Do not stray after your eyes." (Bamidbar 15:39) The Torah's purpose is not to deny us the j...

"I feel burdened by my past conduct. It's hard for me to believe that Hashem will forgive me." If we have not properly guarded our eyes in the past, we can change our behavior and Hashem will help us to improve our ways. In fact, Hashem sent us an uplifting and encourag...

"And Hashem spoke to Moshe, saying, Speak to all the community of the Children of Israel and say to them: You shall be holy, for I, Hashem your G-d, am holy." (Vayikra 19:2) How can a human being, who has a physical body and earthly desires, become "holy"? At Mount Sina...

"I sincerely want to improve my Avodat Hashem by mastering my eyes. Where do I start?" AvodatHashem - Divine Service - is a general term that embraces a wide range and many levels of To­rah observance. For our purposes, we are defining "Di­vine Service" as compliance with...

Let's now turn towards the writings of Rabbi Yisrael Salanter, whose wise counsel will map out a means for mastering our eyes. Rabbi Salanter was the founder of the Mussar Movement, which in many ways revolutionized modern Jewish thought. In the classic work, Ohr Yisrael ...

In recent years, many of us have become more aware of Torah laws governing Shmirat HaLashon, and now we are careful about what we say and what we hear. When we were first introduced to the laws of Shmirat HaLashon, we might have felt overwhelmed. But with study and practi...

"When B'nai Yisrael went down to Egypt, they be­haved with modesty - each person living in his own tent, as the verse says (Shemot 1:1): 'Each man and his household came.' Reuven did not look at Shimon's wife, nor did Shimon look at Reuven's wife. Rather, each man lived m...

Does desire really distort reason? We can't really fool ourselves, can we? Rabbi Yisrael Salanter commented on the sophisticated mechanism in our minds that rationalizes wrongdoing. We actually convince ourselves that we are blameless. He writes: Physical desires urge a...

"Common courtesy precedes Torah." (Vayikra Rabbah 9:3) Couldn't not looking at a woman be construed as rudeness? Naturally, every situation requires tact and common sense. The law does not expect us to treat modestly dressed women as if they do not exist. We are expected...

Awareness of Hashem is hard to sustain in today's culture. What tools can I utilize to help me develop and maintain it? Just as a security guard will deter a thief from robbing a store, the awareness that you are in G-d's presence will empower you with the ability to co...

"That sounds like a good thing to do, but truthfully, I'm too busy to take the time." When the Jewish People were slaves in Egypt, Pharaoh was concerned that they would rebel and overthrow his rule. In order to prevent them from organizing a rebellion, he saw to it that...

In today's world, it's unrealistic to avoid immodestly dressed women. What can I do in a situation that is unavoidable? The darkness of night causes two types of visual misjudgment. In Mesilat Yesharim(chapter 3), the Ramchal explains that when it is dark: (1) We cannot s...

That all makes sense, but how can you prepare for what you don't expect? "When an army plans a war, the generals de­sign a strategy. They consider every detail and prepare for every scenario. But when the war is actually fought, there are always unforeseen events and situ...

Changing my focus seems to be unnatural. Show me how I can train my eyes to avoid normal eye-level. Since keeping your eyes lowered is not the norm, you need to accustom yourself to this new focus. The best way to change an old habit is to consciously practice a new beh...