I don't know where to put this post, but I wanted to share with my brothers and sisters on this forum that besides getting Chizuk on Shmiras Eiynayim/Kedusha etc... from GYE, I have received a very unexpected and treasured bonus.

The Ahavas Yisroel and being Dan people Lkaf Zchus that I have absorbed into my essense as a result of reading these posts is beyond description.

How can I anymore look down at a fellow yid, no matter what behavior I am observing,  if I have no idea of the struggles he/she might be having ???

I am BS"D starting to internalize the meaning of Al Tadin Es Chavercha Ad Shetagiya L'mkomo.

Love,

Pintela Yid

Holy pintaleh,
U have an ayin tova/ a "good" eye!!

Thank you Holy Fire. BS"D, GYE has helped me with this immensly.

I had another thought. The Ramak in his Sefer Tomar Devorah in the section of L'sheiris Nachloso says that every Yid has a piece of the Neshama of every other Yid. That is the P'shat behind the idea of Kol Yisroel Areivim Zeh Lozeh since in the bottom line, another person's actions effect my Neshamo that is with him.

In other words, if any Yid does an Aveira, he not only sullies his Neshama, but in a certain respect, he also sullies the Neshama of every other Yid. If a Yid does a Mitzvah, he brings Kedusha to the Neshama of every Yid. That is a "heavy load".

In P'shat, Areivim comes from the term Araiv - guarantor. In his explanation, it means "mixed", since our Nishamos are connected.

The letters also spell "Erev", evening, which can represent darkness and sin.

It also spells "Arev" which means sweet and pleasant.

If you switch around the letters, it can read "Ra'av" which means hunger.

If we put all this together we have a very powerful message.

We look down at someones "evening" actions because subconsciously we feel that we are "mixed" and inseparable from them. That is why we can be their "guarantors" and sometimes get punished for their actions.

But we have to look below the surface and realize tha every Jew is "sweet" and "pleasant" and they really "hunger" to do the Ratzon Hashem. They don't always act that way because the stresses of life "switches" their "hunger" into "evening".

Pintele Yid

pintelle,
Thanks for sharing.  That was really very beautiful.

I wanted to add something here that is related to what you are discussing.  A few months back a friend of mine, who was a fellow addict, contacted me for advise.  He was offered a position whereby he will be a mashpia.  He wanted to know my thoughts on the matter.  He was concerned, due to his past, that he would not be an appropriate candidate.  I offered him a few reasons, why despite his challenges he should take the offer. I would like to share two of them with you:

First reason, precisely because you have had so many battles you can understand all sorts of people.  You will be amazed by how much you have learned about human nature just by struggling with this addiction.

Second reason, you will become a very humble person.  When you are in a position of being mashpia and at the same time you realize how many aveiros you yourself had, you become humbled to all of mankind.

That is a beautiful message Pintele Yid.

Especially after Tisha, B'Av where we mourn over our Holy Temple, which was destroyed due to people not seeing the good in other people.

I get amazing amounts of chizuk from this site, at certain times if I feel down, I go on here and the chizuk is tremendous.

It is because of holy neshamas like you( and the rest of these tremendous holy yidden on this site) that Moshiach is right around the corner.

The Ikar is we don't see the good in others!
In fact we take is as far as to look for BAD chas vshalom whether its in people, or on the internet.

Each yid has so much to offer, we must know that... each one us YES YOU , has amazing capabilities.

The Tanya states that we are literally connected to hashem, our neshamas are actually "bound" to the shecinah, due to this, we have endless capabilities and heights to soar to !

keep on going !  :D

Ykv_schwartz wrote on 06 Aug 2009 21:49:


Reb Ykv,

Sound advise from a "rock solid" Yid

What you are saying is precisely why GYE is accomplishing more than many Rosh Yeshivas and Therapists!

BeStrong88 wrote on 07 Aug 2009 01:39:


BeStrong88,

Emes L'amito!

We say in Davening "Vekarasa is Shemo Yisroel V'yeshurun". The Zohar says that "Yisroel" is the Rashei Teivos of Yaish Shishim Ribuy Oisios LaTorah" and Yeshurun is the Rashei Teivos of Yaish Shishim Ribuy Neshamos". This means that just like a Sefer Torah is Pasul if it is missing one letter, similarly, every Yid possesses a unique quality that contributes to our overall continuation as Klal Yisroel. That "quality", is needed by Klal Yisroel as much as any other "quality".

So the next time we look at someone, we should try to see his "Ois". Even if we can't, we should realize that it is there, and maybe the reason we can't see it, is because of a lacking in us, not the other person.

Pintele Yid