Avoiding Evil
We can choose to dirty our souls with momentary pleasure, or we can enjoy the light of God's Presence.
Rabbi Yaakov Meir Shechter
Rabbi Yaakov Meir Shechter
Two Types of Warfare
There are two types of madness. The first is a sudden, overwhelming desire to perform an illicit act. The second is far worse - his perception becomes so distorted that good seems like bad and bad seems like good, sin appears to be a mitzvah and mitzvah a sin.
The Secret of Rebuke
In most cases, when one person tries to rebuke another, he only makes matters worse. Not only does he fail to improve the other person...
The Wrong Initiative
But when the evil inclination is quiet, and a person chooses on his own to wake it up – that is a particularly serious type of sin, and hence...
A Destroying Angel
It is written, "Return to Me and I will return to you" –wherever you may be trapped. Even when you see no way out, I will come to meet you, to deliver you. This is the path...
Truth and Life
Rebbe Nachman explains that life and truth are synonymous concepts, whereas falsehood is an aspect of death . For instance...
Fighting Chutzpah With Chutzpah
Once we have identified the enemy, the second step is repelling the attack, said Rabbi Uri of Strelisk, is to respond with a chutzpah that stems...
Divine Wisdom Versus Profane Wisdom
So too, when we study Torah out of love, “eventually the honor will come.” For by serving God with love, we draw down a revelation...
The Past Does Not Exist
Engrave this deeply into your mind and heart - the past does not exist! One should not think about the past at all, and it certainly has no right to affect the future...
There is No Such Thing As Despair
Now we can begin to understand Rebbe Nachman's words. Despair only comes because the spark of life is hidden within the shattered vessels...
Just As You Are With Me…
True closeness to God, true spiritual greatness, is always accompanied by humility; and this is the meaning of an interesting connection between...
Praising God Whatever May Happen
So what if Nebuchadnezzar put the Book of Psalms to shame? Wasn't he declaring the praise of the Almighty? He was one of the greatest kings in...