Parshas Bechikosai:


V'im teilchu imi keri v'lo sovu lishmoa li. _(26:21)

I recall overhearing a tape of The Rosh Yeshiva, Harav yosef Rosenblum Shlita, in which he said that as soon as a child sees inappropriate images etc., once he begins to be pogem b'bris, he will no longer have any feeling toward yiddishkeit. He will no longer daven & learn Torah.....

I was thinking then, " I am living proof that he is incorrect! I have seen many many inappropriate images & I still learn 7 daven. I even learned a Mesechta baal peh!".....


That was then, many years ago..... I now see how wrong I was!


V'im teilchu imi keri - you may think that you can 'go with Hashem' while also being Tumah from Keri....
But the Torah bears witness that it is not so [it will not last]: v'lo sovu lishmoa li. - You will end up without the will to do the ratzon Hashem!

Parshas Bamidbar:


V'shamru ess mishmarto v'ess mishmeres kal ha'eidah. _(3:7)

[quote="Dov (from the “Daily Dose of Dov”), would like to be part of another group of addicts in recovery who want to work the 12 steps together.]

Members are asked to try their best to do the the following nine simple things:

7 – ....... It's not about 'the group' - we are here for our [i]own [/i]sobriety, period.

[/quote]


[i]V'shamru ess mishmarto[/i] = Most importantly, worry about you own sobriety first,

then,

[i]v'ess mishmeres kal ha'eidah[/i] = you can afford to worry about the rest of the group!



[i]Ein omrim l'adam chato bishvil sheyizkeh chaveiro![/i]

[i]Chayecha kodmin![/i]


We cannot manage our own Recovery, can we be in control of the next person's??

Parshas Bamidbar:


B'yom hikosi kol bechor b'Eretz Mitzraim hikdashti li kol bechor b'Yisroel. _(3:13)


By seeing how Mitzraim - Ervas Ha'aretz, The epitome of Immorality, hit rock-bottom we embark on a journey towards greater kedushah!

By seeing how others hit rock-bottom, we can get the jolt needed to catapult us into Recovery!

Tefillah:


How do you feel when davening: Al hatzadikim, v'al hachasidim..... v'sim chelkeinu imahem l'olam! ??

Do we REALLY think that we can be included among the Tzadikim?

If we are omed b'nisayon for one second, ONE TIME that we don not look , for that moment we are in the category of Tzadikim!!


Rambam: Every Yid can be a Tzaddik like Moshe Rabbeinu!

Moshe fulfilled his potential 100%. If I do so too, then I am on that same level.

If I do so for a single nisayon that Hashem puts me into and I passed that specific test with flying colors, then I am a Tzaddik - for that moment!


We ask Hashem for help that it should not be for just one second. that it should last FOREVER!!!!

Parshas Bamidbar:


V'eila shmos bnei Aharon habchor Nadav va'Avihu Elazar, v'Isamar. .....
vayamas Nadav va'Avihu... _(3:2,4)


Even though Nadav & Avihu died, they are still Aharon's sons. They are not retroactively removed from being his offspring.


When we have a good day, it is to our eternal credit. If we are later nichshol in an aveira it does not erase the good days which we had!






What about the maamer Chazal which contradicts this: Aveira mechabeh Mitzva; v'ein aveira mechabeh Torah?
Can anyone explain, please?

Parshas Nasso:


Nasso ess rosh bnei Gershon gam heim.

There are times when a person needs to work on his sense of self-worth; with some more confidence in himself he won't be so easily thrown around by the Yetzer Horah.


Nasso ess rosh bnei Gershon - first we should 'raise' his head. Get some positive ideas into his mind.
gam heim - the rest of their bodies/beings will follow.

Start with lifting the heads, 'they' will come along.

Parshas Nasso:


I was looking in a likut of Hilchos Sotah from the Rambam.

Those halachos are mind boggling!

It shows us the power of non-thinking!



A Sotah is a woman who, after being explicitly warned by her husband not to secret herself with a specific man, transgressed the issur of Yichud anyhow. She did so in the clear view of two kosher witnesses.

Should her husband so choose, he may divorce her now; if she admits to a wrongdoing her husband MUST divorce her [she just forfeits her Kesuba money]; even if she doesn't admit to anything, if she only states that she refuses to drink, she will receive a divorce. After the divorce, she is free to marry anyone whom she desires [except a Kohen].

But this woman wants to be with one specific man, her husband.

She is willing to endure the entire Soteh Process, with all its inherent denigration and humiliation, so that she should be allowed to remain with HIM.

She is clearly informed of what is at stake. The horrible death which can result from drinking these waters is described to her, but she remains steadfast. She does not back down. She wants to drink the waters!

Why?

Because she is convincing herself that "It won't happen to ME!"

This woman died; that women's bloated stomach burst; but I WILL SURVIVE.

Isn't she stupid??

Ki sisteh ishto = nichnas bo ruach shtus!!!







We see others who have hit rock-bottom. We read their stories on GYE.


We continue to convince ourselves' "It will not happen to me!"


We are dummies!!!!


We are insane!!!

Parshas Nasso:



Parshas Sotah.

After drinking the Bitter Cursing Waters and surviving, the Soteh is to return home to her husband. There marriage will be better than ever before: If previously she was childless, now she will bear children; if previously it was with difficulty, henceforth it will be smoother; etc.


Can we imagine the sholom bayis of such a couple? After going through such a process, they can still trust one another?

In general, a woman is to be trusted based on her chezkas kashrus. The ex-soteh, having passed 'inspection' by the Water is 'proven' to be a clean. None less than Hashem Himself bears witness on her behalf!





When we, after all our failings, return to Hashem - with the help of GYE, we will enter the classification of Baalei Teshuvah.  ........ ad sheyagid alav Yodeia Ta'alumos shelo yashuv l'kislo od!  Hashem will be proclaiming our Recovery!!!!!






A scab is thicker than the skin around it. When the wife is returned to her husband, the union is stronger than before. When we will return to Hashem our bond will be much greater than we ever imagined possible!!

Rosh Chodesh Sivan:


Bayom hazeh ba'u Midbar Sinai.

With the power of Today, Klal Yisroal arrived to a state where there attuned to Kabolas Hatorah!

Parshas Nasso:


V'hayamim harishonim yiplu ki tameh nizro.

We want to start afresh. We feel bogged down by all the accumulated tumah baggage. We feel that it is an impediment from growing.

The Torah advises us to just throw off those shackles; jettison that dead weight. Let the 'old days' fall by the wayside. Ignore them.

The count begins now! Today!

Shevuos:


B'hotziacha ess ha'am miMitzraim ta'avdin ess Elokim al hahar hazeh.

It is only when we leave Mitzraim, Ervas HaAretz, that we are capable of clinging to Hashem & serving him!

Shevuos:


Anochi hashem Elokecha asher hotzisicha meiEretz Mitzraim

It is only when we leave Mitzraim, Ervas HaAretz, that we are capable of seeing  Hashem & serving him!

Parshas Behaloscha:


Vayhi Ha'am k'mis'onanim ra b'einay Hashem.

They were like Mis'onanim, like complainers. In their true essence they are NOT complainers!

The essence of a Jew is to be Makir Tovah!



[But being [i]k'mis'onanim[/i] is also ra b'einay. it is not healthy for the eyes....]

Parshas Behaloscha:


Ub'haarich ha'anan yamim rabim v'shamru Bnai Yisroel ess mishmeres Hashem v'lo yisa'u.

Even if there is a fog (depression) for a long time, guard the emuna in Hashem. Don`t give up!

Parshas Behaloscha:


Vayishma Moshe ess ha'am bocheh l'mishpachosav.. Vayichar af Hashem.
            - there was A LOT of RID....

u'v'einei Moshe rah!
            - His eyes became bad.......