markz wrote on 01 Apr 2016 02:57:


Here's another nice music link
This song is for the 3 weeks, they have many other varieties, but now's the time to check it out

aaronteitelbaumproductions.com/js_videos/shloime-daskal-yedidim-choir-shaarei-demaos/

Rashi says (several places in Shas) that the third Beis Hamikdash in completed form will descend from Heaven miraculously, and therefore it can come down on Shabbos too (As there are no restrictions regarding its building)

The Maharil Diskin asks;
Why then do we pray for the opportunity to assist in its construction (ושמחנו בתקונו)?

He answers that there will be what to complete. The same as man has surgery after birth with circumcision to grant him completion (Ed. the purpose of which according to Rambam is to minimize lust). So too the Beis Hamikdash finishing touches will be in our hands

For example; When the Beis Hamikdash was destroyed, its gates sunk into the ground, and in the future, the Jewish People will excavate the gates and affix them to the Beis Hamikdash (See Medrash Eichah 2:9).

My dear brothers

Do you recall which construction was performed by us in the previous Beis Hamikdash?

The platform for the women's forum to be separated from the men, was built against original building code, at the Simchas Beis Hashoeva celebrations. Its fair to assume it will be repeated by us in the near future, as the Yetzer Hara will yet be in full steam. 

If we want an appreciation of the future constructions, let us prepare by drafting the blueprint today, of the separation from women at the times and venues of rejoicing.

At the same time there's another part of Beis Hamikdash that we should try to build upon - I.e. our relationships

For example the Jewish home. I heard the following incident related

A young man saw an Adam Gadol take the garbage out his house. He said "wow I have what to learn from you".
The Rav turned to him and said "What are you saying? It's a clear Mishna that discusses the trash removal from the Beis Hamikdash"
The young man replied "but that's the Beis Hamikdash... who told you it's applicable here?"
The Rav gave him a look with both his eyes ;-)

Guard your eyes, and may we all be zocheh soon to see the new house come down with our own eyes!

ur-a-jew wrote on 17 Jul 2013 04:57:

Where's the hundreds of new members??

MOAYT
"Missed Opportunity Aseres Yemei Teshuva"

I'm sharing this thought because I see others are having the same thing, what I went thru too for many many many years

As yechidah wrote yesterday, Rosh Hashana is a time of awesome light in the darkness. It uplifts us. 
The problem however is that we put limitations into the measure of light we will allow in

Or from a different angle: Rock bottom is the point of return where guys will take the brave step and do whatever it takes to get real sober, whether with Taphsic that honestly works for them (some try 100 different versions of Taphsic. Brother either it works for you or it doesn't), or opening up with Dov or Cordnoy, or meetings etc...

Many of us with the inspiration of these awesome days say to ourselves on AYT "Ok I'm at rock bottom. My life as a Jew sucks. I'm willing to do whatever it takes". But... It's a catch 22. The inspiration and dread alone which brings the feeling of rockbottom, that itself was sufficient to enable me to stay clean, although a form of white knuckling. Which locked me in a mindset of "why do I need to do anything else for my recovery"

So, many take it halfway. We take the boost Gd gives us to go to full recovery mode which for many means realizing we can't do it on our own, and get out of anonymity - (read the first "dov quote"). 

Instead of that we resort to "white knuckling" which during Elul and AYT is smooth sailing for many. But then the light dims after YK, cause Gd says "I gave you the boost, Now you're on your own", and that is when we are dismayed to learn that we missed a golden opportunity, and it's more difficult to get the push then to get on the road to real recovery, or to realize rock bottom'ing

I was sure that Elul and the AYT is a time of high GYE membership, but it didn't happen, why? I think the answer is as I mentioned, that it's simply easier to white knuckle these days, so "although I was more inspired to get clean these days, I didn't feel the urgency to join GYE"

Current members of GYE can also have similar feelings "I'm sufficiently inspired to be clean at least until YK, who knows what will be after...". And they don't join the real GYE recovery train

Until a short while after YK - days or hours, we realize sadly that we missed the awesome opportunity

G'mar Chasima guys, I hope you feel the light and allow it to shine through the whole year, and share some with us please :-)

Thanks Mark, from one of the new members. I don't want to miss my opportunity!

TG

Thank you Markz for the reminder that it is important to keep in mind that after YK there will be a drop in the free gift and we have to be ready, we have to try to get the most out of these days. and recovery is the key, not white knuckling. 

gemar chasima tovah

Hashem decided my free gift this year was not to give me the free gift...

I just wanted to share a great vort I just heard that is perfect for this thread.

We all know the Rambam that full teshuva is when you are in the exact same situation with the same temptation, yet you overcome the temptation. Sometimes it's hard for us to imagine being in then exact same situation with the same level of lust. The temptations of 20 years ago are not relevant to me today and we're certainly not looking to deliberately recreate the temptation, so this could be disheartening.

I think it's the Ohr Hachaim Hakodosh who says that Shabbos supplies that same factor of recreating the same environment.
Odom Harishon was expelled from Gan Eden so it was not possible for him to be put in the same matzav, so he did teshuva on Shabbos - the very first Shabbos after he was created on Rosh Hashana was the first Shabbos Shuva.

May we all be zoche to the gift of teshuva.

eslaasos wrote:

Amen!

eslaasos wrote:

Amen!

Deep stuff

Why did Hashem promote the test of "Guarding our Eyes" in our generation??

There's a Sefer Darkei Teshuva who answers this with another question.
The Gemara Yoma says, one who is מחלל שם שמים, does not attain atonement with תשובה or יום כפורים, but only through death.

We each have our small (/big) ways we have been מחלל שם שמים. So what hope do we have???

Said the Darkei Teshuva - "We know, the גמרא says that a blind man is considered like a dead man (עני חשוב כמת).
That was said about someone that is physically unable to see. All the more so someone that is capable of seeing and closes his eyes so he doesn't see - is surely considered like a מת, and serves as כפרה for his חילול השם. This I heard from Rabbi Avrohom Schorr Shlita on Torahanytime

I have my fair share of חילול השם and due to lust (without going into details on this post). It's only thanks to GYE headed by Reb Yaacov and all the Crew members of this ship, that what used to be a struggle to "Guard your eyes" became surmountable, and I could finally start cutting down on חילול השם, and use my time more productively and start some קידוש השם rolling

G'mar Chasima Tovah to all my dear brothers 

Gevura bugged me for this, although I know gehinnom is taboo here, so read at your own risk :-)

The Gemara teaches that; Lulavim of the Iron Mountain are invalid when the tops of the lower leaves do not reach the base of the ones above it

And it's related that two such date-palms grow in the valley of Ben Hinom, located at the entrance of Gehinom, with smoke rising from between the two palms
(Tractate Succah pg 32b)

The Gemara may be offering the following lesson;

Many people take a backseat approach when it comes to spirituality, and suffice with bare minimums

There are men that lust, and although they have discovered or been guided to ways that may work to clear the deck, yet they are satisfied with their lot in life, happy with the bare minimum.

There are women who dress with clothes that cover the minimum halachic standards.

Similar to the Tzinei Har ha'Barzel leaves that cover the bare minimum.

Many more examples come to mind, some that apply to myself :-(

Says the Gemara - those trees grow at the gates of hell, because if I play with minimum spirituality, I'm playing with fire

But continue reading the Gemara where you'll see various positive spiritual customs over and above the minimum. For example Esrog and Succah with all the enhancements. This is the road to the garden of Eden :-)

Excellent!!!! I saw this piece a few weeks ago and never even thought of that! loved this pshat. Of course life is a journey to better oneself and if one stays stable with the minimum he is bound to fall down. The force of gravity applies similarly, if you don't keep climbing the ladder of kedusha the force of gravity will pull you down even if you don't walk towards sin immediately, this will in turn bring you to a situation where you will fall into sin. Let's keep working on our character traits so we can gain speed and counter the force of stability that is pulling us down if were not in motion! 

Markz wrote on 21 Oct 2016 04:20:

Why do you want women to cover more than is required of them?
 why do you consider men who lust as a minimum standard?

The above is a bit of a nitpick, but I don't like the tone of the vort.

Yes, there is לפנים משורת הדין,  but one needs guidance on that. Yes, there is a גמרא which states that keeping דין did not suffice (perhaps even brought about חורבן), but again the examples and practical applications are important. I think I remember someone here poking fun at the women who cover their faces ..... Why?

I erred in my words 

I meant to write
"There are women who dress with clothes that cover just below the minimum halachic standards"
I do not want to discuss women's issues here, as this is not our department, and it's not for us to judge them

When I wrote
"There are men that lust... "
That was referring to Men that act on their lust

The Gemara may be referring to לפנים משורת הדין, I don't know

Markz wrote on 26 Oct 2016 16:39:

Please don't back away because of me.

You mentioned "bare minimum" three or four times. Your tone throughout the post was one that many have that we should go beyond the letter of the law.

Regarding judging women and then not judging women, I was quoting your post.