Parshas Re'ei:

V'chi yirbeh mimcha haderech ki lo suchal s'eiso ki yirchak mimcha hamokom _(14:24)

If you find that the journey to sobriety is to much for you, it is because you cannot carry it alone! Because Hashem (Hamokom refers to Hashem as we say on Pesach: Boruch Hamokom) is distant from you. You distanced yourself from Hashem. You cannot to it by yourself!


Dovid Hamelech says in Tehilim _(55:23): Hashlech al Hashem yehovcha v'hu y'chalk'lecha, ki lo yitein mot latzadik. Throw your burden on Hashem & He will lead you [so the meforshim explain the word [i]y'chalk'lecha[/i]], ki lo yitein mot latzadik, because Hashem will then keep you from stumbling in the middah of Tzadik, midas hayesod, the middah of Shemiras Habris Kadosh!

Parshas Shoftim:

Ki hashocheit ye'aveir einei chachamim

[quote="Rabeinu Guard Shlita]We have a [b]90 Day Chart[/b] with virtual rewards for reaching milestones[/quote]

[i]Chachamim [/i]use bribes to blind their eyes!!!!  8)

Rosh Chodesh:

An Honest Mouse in wrote on 15 Jul 2010 21:22:


When Chazal instituted mention of Rosh Chodesh in our prayers, they inserted it immediately preceding this tefiloh. Can this be implying that on Rosh Chodesh we have an extra push in this direction?

Rosh Chodesh:

Chazal split the perakim that we say in Hallel.

Dovid Hamelech said it in two: Lo Lanu & Ahavti: Dovid only needed two steps in his avodah. He didn't think much about himself (Lo lanu) and He loved Hashem (Ahavti).

We need more steps: After we realize that Lo lanu, it is not all about me, then we can come to understand that Hashem zacharanu, that Hashem is constantly remembering us and thinking about us. The next step after Ahavti ki yishma Hashem, loving that Hashem is listening to us comes Mah ashuv laShem, the desire to do something for his sake!!!

Parshas Shoftim:

Shoftim v'shotrim titein lecha b'chal sha'arecha asher Hashem Elokecha nosein lecha _(16:18)

You shall place guards at all your doorways [Including Internet portals!].

What are these guards? Before you enter the street, pause for a moment & contemplate about all the good thing that Hashem, your God, gives to you. If you enter a 'danger spot' with such thoughts going through your mind, you are bound to Hashem, and you are bound to have an easier time withstanding the Y"H bombardment and Guarding Your Eyes!

The Rambam _{(end of Perek 6 in Hilchos Mezuzah)} writes: V'chal zman sheyichnas v'yeitzei yifga b'yichud Hashem shmo shel Hakodosh Boruch Hu v'yizkor ahavaso v'yei'or mishinaso v'shigyosav b'hevlei hazman, v'yeida sh'ein davar ha'omei le'olam ul'olmei olamim ella yedu'os tzur ha'olam, umiyad hu chozer l'da'ato v'holeich b'darkai meisharim....  - And every time that he enters or exits he will encounter the singularity of Hashem, His holy name, and he will remember His love and he will awaken from slumber... and he will know that there is nothing that exists forever other than Knowledge of Hashem. Immediately he will return to his Da'as and go in the straight paths.




Today is Rosh Chodesh Elul. The Rambam _{(Perek 3 of Hichos teshuva, Halacha 4)} uses similar wording in describing the effect of the Shofar.

Af al pi shetekias shofar gezeiras hakasiv remez yesh bedavar, k'lomar uru yesheinim mishnaschem u'nirdamim hakitzu mitarmaschem v'chifsu b'ma'aseichem v'chizru b'teshuva v'zachru bor'achem. Eilu hashokchim ess ha'emes b'hevlei hazman v'shogim kol shnasam b'hevel v'reik asher lo yo'il v'lo yatzil, habitu l'nafshoseichem v'hativu darkeichem uma'alaleichem v'ya'azov kol echod mikem darko hara'ah umachshavto lo tovah....



David712 for his help in showing me this Rambam.>

Parshas Shoftim:

Ki seitzei lamilchama al ovecha v'ra'isah sus v'rechev am rav mimcha lo sirah meihem ki Hashem Elokeicha imach _(20:1)


Ki seitzei lamilchama al ovecha - When a person goes out to the street, he is going out to war with his enemy the Yetzer Horah.

v'ra'isah sus v'rechev - There is a famous anecdote about Rashi's description of the Kohen Godol's Ephod as "like the aprons worn by the noblewomen while they ride their horses". The story goes that Rashi was walking in the street and noticed this. At first he was upset that his eyes weren't sufficiently guarded from impure sights, but then he decided that it must be for the sake of his torah.......          We can learn from this story that horse riders can be an impure sight.

Shlomo & Steve on the Morning 12 Step Group Call]The idea of [b] wrote:


am rav mimcha - if you give it over to a group, then
lo sirah meihem - you need not fear the Yetzer Horah's advances. The group support will help!
ki Hashem Elokeicha imach - Another option is "Giving it over to Hashem"

Parshas Shoftim:

Umi ha'ish hayarei v'rach haleivav _(20:8)

Rebbi Yosi Haglili says, he is afraid of the sins that he committed. Moreover, the reason that the Torah sends  back home from the war front those who built a home & hasn't yet lived in it, planted a vineyard but still hasn't eaten its fruits, or betrothed a wife is to 'cover up' for those returning due to their sins. _(Rashi)


This Rashi can work wonders in raising our spirits when we feel like hypocrites, recognizing all our failings while hiding behind anonymous GYE usernames. We show a public face as if we are good guys while inside we know that we aren't. The Torah is teaching us here that, even though we do not condone any sins, sometimes it is proper to 'sweep them under the carpet', to hide them from public view. Let the onlooker think that there are no Jewish sinners. let him think that the reason behind the returnees is their having built new homes etc.

Parshas Ki Seitzei:

Ki seitzei lamilchama al ovecha unsano Hashem Elokecha b'yadecha .... V'raisa bashivya aishes yefas to'ar .... v'lakachta lecha l'isha. _(21:10,11)

Meforshim explain this war as referring to our war with our greatest enemy, the Yetzer Horah.

At times, Hashem 'puts' into our hands ammunition to fight the enemy but we don't accept it for a number reasons. One of them may be because we want to 'do it ourselves'. (Our ego getting in the way. Edge God Out) We feel as if He were the one capturing the enemy. We want the glory for ourselves. We want it be called 'our captive'.

The possuk tells us v'shavisa shivyo - you shal capture HIS captive. It doesn't matter who's captive it is. The main point is that the capture took place!

At times we don't like the medium that Hashem chose to lead us on the path back to him. We don't like the way it sounds that we learned how to be close to him from strangers to His belief. (i.e. The 12 Steps) The Torah tells us that if among the gentile spoils we are to find something that does possess beauty, we should take it. We should incorporate it into our lives. We should 'marry' it!





Rashi's comment, Lo diber Torah ella kineged Yetzer Horah, can be understood on multiple levels too.
- The Torah is speaking against the Yetzer Horah. The Torah is telling us how to fight him.
- The Torah is not telling us to only go against the Yetzer Horah. There are times that we do have what to learn from goyish sources.

V'chol Yisroel yishme'u v'yir'a'u v'lo yezidin od.

And all the people of Israel shall listen - to the 12 Step Phone calls, and see - the great GYE forum, and sin no more!

Parshas Ki Seitzei:

Rashi famously comments on the Mitzva of Aishes Yefas To'ar: Lo dibru Torah ela kineged Yetzer Horah

Someone asked me, "Since when is the Torah mattir difficult aveiras? Will Ribbis become Muttar in a case of Hefsed meruba?"

I replied based on the following:
[quote="Harav Koppelman Shlita, Rosh Yeshiva of Luzerne, Switzerland]
Why does the Torah write[i] V'hoya im lo chaftzta[/i] in the past tense? Shouldn't it have said [i]Im lo chafetz[/i]?
The person now realizes that [u]He[/u] never wanted her in the first place. The Yetzer Horah was the one who wanted it!
[/quote]
[Quote=David (on Steve's 12 Step Call)]
The Torah is teaching us that it is only the RID which occurs during the fog of war that is causing him to want her. Therefore the Torah commands him to wait a month, during which the RID will pass. By then he won't want her anymore.[/quote]
Which is also why she must remove the clothes that she was captured in, grow her nails etc.

In other words, the Torah is not coming to be mattir the aveira. It is teaching us how to get rid of the Yetzer Horah and see that we never even wanted her to begin with!

[i]Lo dibru Torah[/i] - the Torah is not telling us halacha l'maase,[i] Ella K'neged Yezter Horah[/i] - This mitzva was only given against the Yetzer horah - BUT NOT TO ACTUALLY BE DONE!!!

Parshas Ki Savo:

Parshas Bikurim is a Parsha of exclaiming gratitude to Hashem. We have a lot to thank Him for:

V'anisa v'amarta = You shall publicly proclaim:

Arami Oveid Avi = The Yetzer Horah tried to drag us down to rock-bottom, where everything would've been lost,

Vayeired Mitzraima = we fell down in the tumah which is symbolized by Mitzraim - Ervas Haaretz, the epitome of immorality.

Vayagar sham bimsei me'at = We thought that we are the only ones who are in this quagmire,

Vayhi sham l'goy gadol atzum v'rav = we joined a great and mighty fellowship named GYE, where we saw that we aren't the only strugglers, we made many friends.

Vayarei'u osanu hamitzrim vai'anunu = These lust issues pained us greatly,

Vayitnu aleinu avodah kasha = we tried to fight it with brute force, we tried to 'white-knuckle' it.

Vanitzak el Hashem Elokai avoseinu = We turned to Hashem.

Vayishma Hashem ess koleinu = We learned to daven to Hashem. We learned that He always listens!

Vayar ess anyeinu = We recognized our causes of RID,

V'es amaleinu [size=8pt]Ella habanim[/size] (Hagadah shel Pesach)] = we made an accounting of how we have hurt our families,

V'ess lachtzenu [size=8pt]zu hadchak[/size] (Hagadah shel Pesach) = we made an accounting of our shortcomings.

Vayotzi'einu Hashem mimitzraim = and Hashem took us out of the clutches of the lust addiction,

Byad chazaka, uvizroa n'tuya = with a power greater than ourselves!

Uv'morah godol, v'osos uvmofsim = and with A & W Moments!



Vayvi'einu el hamokom hazeh = And Hashem brought to this state, The State of Serenity!!!!

Vayitein lanu ess haaretz hazos, eretz zavas chalav udvash = an idyllic scene indeed!


V'attah hinei heiveisi...... v'hinachto lifnei Hashem = Lets show appreciation to Hashem "Please use the PayPal options on the right side of our website www.guardyoureyes.org to donate whatever you can"

V'samachta b'chol hatov asher nasan lecha Hashem Elokecha! = GO TO BARDICHEV"S PUB FOR A L"CHAIM!!!!

Parshas Ki Savo:

Hayom hazeh nihyeisa l'am _(27:9)

B'chol yom yihyu b'einecha k'illu hayom ba'as imo - b'bris _(Rashi)

You should look at every day as if you are walking with Hashem! - This lesson is very important in the subject of 'Bris', the middah of Teharah!

Parshas Ki Savo:

Viddui Masser

It is not enough to just say: Biarti hakodesh min habayis = I cleaned myself up. (Lo yihye kadesh mibnei yisroel _{(Ki Seitzei 23:18)})
We must also add v'gam n'sativ laleivi, v'lager' layasom; v'la'almana = I was of service to others too.

Only then can we go on to the next passuk: Lo achalti b'oni mimenu v'lo vi'arti mimenu b'tamei.


Which is followed by the possuk: Hashkifa. - Chazal say, Kol Hashkifa is for bad except for this one! = This is the only way we can make our 'looking' not be a bad thing!!!

Parshas Ki Savo:

Eileh yaamdu l'vareich ess ha'am.... V'eileh yaamdu al haklala _(27:12,13)

Six tribes stood on one mountaintop & six on the opposite mountaintop, while the Kohanim, Leviim, & the Aron were down in the valley between them. The Leviim turned their faces toward Har gerizim and started with a blessing and then turned toward Har Eival and started with a curse. So they continued, back and forth. _(Rashi)

Don't we all feel that way sometimes? Don't you feel like a two-faced lier? Turning our face to one side and smiling with a blessing and then turning in the opposite direction to the curses?


We MUST remember Billam's commentary on this possuk! Billam pointed out the difference in terminology between the two phrases. _{(Rashi, Balak 23:8 )} At the blessings the verse says: "To bless the Nation"; whilst for the curse the Torah merely states: "On the Curse". There is no association/connection between the Jewish People & the Curses!!!

The essence of Klal Yisroel is a holy! The essence of Klal Yisroel is blessing!



As we approach Rosh Hashana, the day that Hashem will judge us all, it is important to recognize that it is not 'a lost case'! We should keep in mind that Hashem judges everything at once. If we were to divide the entire year into second-sized time frames, how many good spans did we have? How many were not the way they should've been? Hashem will surely see that the vast majority of the year was not spent in sin! He will surely make note of the fact that our essence is not the sins that we may have committed. He will surely grant us a good year! He will surely extend his right hand to us & help us out of this pit that we find ourselves in - if we were only to request it from Him!

Parshas Nitzavim:

Meichoteiv eitzecha ad sho'eiv meimecha _(29:10)

The category which is at the bottom of the list of members in Klal Yisroel can be subdivided into two distinct groupings:
- Choteiv eitzecha = those that use brute force to break the Yetzer Horah's power, [herein referred to as [b]White Knuckling[/b]]
- Sho'eiv meimecha = those that recover from their addictions by drinking from the sweet waters of The 12 Step Group Call.