Take Some Torah with You to the Street

 “When someone walks the street and thinks words of Mishna or Tanya, or sits in his store with a Chumash or Tehillim – that is more valued today than it was when the streets were bright with the light of Torah. We must not go about in the street with a vacant heart. We must have some Torah memorized, to take with us into the street.” – Lubavitcher Rebbe

Posted in Learning, Mussar | Leave a comment

Pride

All sins require some type of physical action – a movement of the hand or foot, an opening of the lips.  All except for pride.  A person can lie in bed, not moving at all, and say to himself, “I am great!” ~R’ Pinchos of Koretz zt”l as quoted in Torah Tavlin

Posted in Mussar | Leave a comment

A Donkey and a Fool

An aizel derkent men bei di langeh oi’eren, a nar bei der langer tsung.

You can recognize a donkey by his long ears, a fool by his long tongue.  

Posted in Shmiras Haloshon, Yiddish | Leave a comment

The Steipler’s Tzitzis

During the final days of the Steipler’s life, an amazing incident occurred.  The Steipler asked for his tzitzis.  As someone put the garment on him, the Steipler, what was lying in bed and could not see the ends of the garment, suddenly cried out, “What are you giving me – these tzitzis are pasul (not kosher)!”  The person removed the garment from the Steipler and inspected it.  Sure enough, the tzitzis on one corner had become torn and were pasul.  

Posted in Stories of Tzaddikim | Leave a comment

Enjoy Life

“One who possesses an understanding of the goodness of the world always rejoices.  When one sees no happiness in his lot, he will indeed see no reason to be grateful to his Creator.  It is only when one is about to leave this world, that he looks back with regret – too late – at all that he possessed but failed to enjoy.” ~ R’ Avigdor Miller zt”l as quoted in Torah Tavlin.

Posted in Happiness | Leave a comment

Stay Firm

Every moment of the day the evil inclination attempts to overpower us.  It fans the desires, even if we refuse to pay attention to it and look determinedly in the other direction.  Still it comes back and bites us again, a third time, a fourth and more.  We must stay firm and obstinate.  We must be absolutely determined that under no circumstances will we turn our attention to toward the evil inclination.  In the end it will be lifted from us and it will totally disappear.  The same is true of the irrelevant thoughts which persist in coming to confuse us when we are trying to pray.  The same thought comes into mind over and over again.  What we need is firmness.  Pay no attention to the thought whatsoever. ~ R’ Nachman of Breslov zt”l

Posted in Mussar, Prayer, Spirituality | Leave a comment

The True Test of Anger

R’ Eliyahu Lopian once said that a person is apt to delude himself into thinking that he has overcome his tendency to become angry.  In reality he might manage to remain calm only because no one has provoked him.  The true test of a person’s propensity toward anger is judged by his behavior in the circle of his own family, which will undoubtedly provide opportunities for anger.  ~ Lev Eliyahu as quoted by R’ Zelig Pliskin

Posted in Mussar | Leave a comment

IDF Chief Chazzan – Prayer for the State of Israel

Happy Yom Ha’atzmaut!  It is worth watching this powerful video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTJH5DsJavY

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Running Away

“When you run from the responsibility of one place to be in another, two things are amiss: The place where you are needed, and the place where you are and shouldn’t be!” ~ Tzvi Freeman

Posted in Mussar | Leave a comment

Kavana

“One need not pulverize mountains and shatter boulders, turning the world upside down. Any Avoda, any act, whatever it may be, merely needs true Kavana: a Bracha pronounced with Kavana; a word of Davening as it should be, with a prepared heart and an awareness of “before Whom you stand”; a passage in Chumash said with an awareness that it is the word of G-d; a verse of Tehillim; a beneficent trait of character expressed in befriending another with affection and love. The truth of the matter is, that to achieve this calls for great and intense effort, meaning simply to study a great deal of Torah and to comprehend it – each according to his ability – and then G-d will help him be what truth demands.” ~ Lubavitcher Rebbe

Posted in Prayer | Leave a comment