The Greatness of HY

 HH

Rabbainu spoke of the importance of contemplating the greatness of HY. This avoda is placed prominently at the beginning of the holy work Sichos Huran. In Likutay Moharan, Rabbainu states that one who has achieved any conception of the greatness of HY will scoff at the greatest temptations of the flesh, and even if he were to be presented with an opportunity to privately fulfill the most lustful cravings, he would not even consider it.

In the story of ancient times, of the son of a king and a son of a maidservant who were exchanged, the son of the king comes to a certain level of understanding of the greatness of HY when he says, on the contrary - "Just the reverse. If it is so, that Hashem Yisburach can indeed do such a thing, that they should exchange a king's son, and such things should befall him - do I turn myself to behave this way?! Is it right, what I have done? Does it befit me that I should behave thus, the way I have done?" And he began to have great anguish and strong remorse over the evil deeds he had done. 

[certainly today we can see HY's greatness, with JB et al...]

When contemplating HY one can interject every so often a technique used in hypnosis, stating in the mind or out load, double or ten times stronger.

One chasidic master upon contemplating the greatness of HY was seized with so much fear, all but two of his teeth fell out, and he referred to those teeth as the wicked ones....

Rabbainu was always shaking from fear of HY, so much so, that when he rested his hand on the table, it also shook, as did the people leaning on it.

May we merit, in merit of the holy Petek Na Nach Nachma Nachman MayUman

Whimsical Fantasy of a Guy Beating Temptation

HH

Imagine

A guy is tested, so he turns to the Evil Side and says, if I am going to sin G-d forbid, let it at least be with someone beautiful, so the Evil Side obliges, leaving him alone for a bit until shortly thereafter he proceeds to challenge the guy by means of an extremely beautiful woman. So the guy turns to HY and says, such a test with such a beautiful woman is worthy of a true Torah sage, how can a simple person like me stand a chance? So HY acknowledges his argument, and holds of the temptations of the Evil Side for a bit, while he super expedites the guys total mastery of the entire Torah, where upon the guy is again faced with the challenge of the Evil Side. So the guy turns to himself and says, such a Torah scholar and such a successful escapee, certainly it does not become me to fall now. And the guy prevails.

End of Story.

Na Nach Nachma Nachman MayUman! 

Breaking free at the brink of utter capitulation to the evil inclination

HH
Yesterday I met with a good Nanach friend who will remain anonymous, and I couldn't help but notice some swelling and bruising, and he had no choice but to tell me what happened. He was hit very hard by a deluge of improper thoughts which took control of him and were just about to sink him completely G-d forbid, so rather to succumb Gf he struck himself extremely hard over and over again sending immense pain signals to his brain and thus banishing the overpowering lust. Badges of honor. And as Rabbainu revealed, he who overcomes such a test will merit miracles.

The Chasam Sofer used to bleed himself out, and a certain chasidishe Rebbe used to burn his thumb or one of his fingers.

We must not forfeit the eternal goodness of Hashem Yisburach for a fleeting indulgence of animal flesh.

On Shabbos parshas Pinchas, a few days after writing this, it occurred to me that this can be the explanation of what we are instructed in the Talmud (Brachos 5a):

א"ר לוי בר חמא אמר ר"ש בן לקיש לעולם ירגיז אדם יצר טוב על יצר הרע שנא' (תהלים ד, ה) רגזו ואל תחטאו. אם נצחו מוטב ואם לאו יעסוק בתורה שנאמר אמרו בלבבכם אם נצחו מוטב ואם לאו יקרא קריאת שמע שנאמר על משכבכם אם נצחו מוטב ואם לאו יזכור לו יום המיתה שנאמר ודומו סלה.

Incidental to the verse, “Tremble, and do not sin,” the Gemara mentions that Rabbi Levi bar Ḥama said that Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: One should always incite his good inclination against his evil inclination, i.e., that one must constantly struggle so that his evil inclination does not lead him to transgression. 

If one succeeds and subdues his evil inclination, excellent, but if he does not succeed in subduing it, he should study Torah, as alluded to in the verse: “Say to your heart.” 

If he subdues his evil inclination, excellent; if not, he should recite Shema, which contains the acceptance of the yoke of God, and the concept of reward and punishment, as it is stated in the verse: “Upon your bed,” which alludes to Shema, where it says: “When you lie down.” 

If he subdues his evil inclination, excellent; if not, he should remind himself of the day of death, whose silence is alluded to in the continuation of the verse: “And be still, Selah.”

Reminding oneself of death doesn't mean to to simply just remember that eventually he will die, but to actually give oneself an acute taste of that death. As Rabbainu revealed in Likutay Moharan, Torah-lesson 193 that a person can picture in his mind death so well that he can actually feel the pain of death and must be careful to not actually die Gf. So that would be the ultimate reminder of death, but being that the Talmud is talking about when a person is inundated with the craziness of the evil inclination and is probably not in any frame of mind to avidly picture for himself death as described above, therefore his only final recourse would be to bring upon himself some real physical pain which is also an aspect of death.


Na Nach Nachma Nachman Me'Uman

Overcoming Temptation

HH when the evil inclination persistently pesters a person relentlessly, gradually he begins to despair of ever being free of it GF, and slowly his resolve ebbs away.
There are a lot of pointers to help one combat this, and here is one.
Keep in mind that every second that one defeats the urge and temptation, he is credited with a big mitzvah and accomplishment. So there is no reason to see the onslaught as one long losing tirade with no way out but to succumb, rather one should see how every second he is gaining and being more and more victorious, for even if GF in the end he gives in, that will not detract from these victories, so one has only to keep winning.

Na Nach Nachma Nachman Me'Uman

Between Man and Himself

HH

Before I merited to know about the holy Petek, and the Song of Redemption: Na Nach Nachma Nachman MeUman, I was a big fan of the Vilna Goan, and I still have great appreciation for some of his teachings. Here's a great one.

The Gra said that there are three types - categories - of mitzvos and avayros (sins): Between Man and G-d, Between Man and Man, and Between Man and Himself. Ultimately all are between Man and G-d, but on the working level of the sin there are those that involve other people and those that only involve oneself.

The Gra classified se*ual sin as being primarily a sin of the third category: Between Man and Himself (the reason why I write primarily is because obviously if the sin was conducted with someone else there is direct damage to the other person which is of the category: Between Man and Man, but the essence of the se*ual sin is a lacking and infringement in the person himself).

True, we know from our holy Sages that the eyes see and that causes the heart to desire, but ultimately the shortcomings and sin of se*ual nature is a deficiency in the person himself, not of someone or something else harming him, just himself.

Something to think about.... Overcoming se*ual temptations is completely dependent on the person himself to build the strength of his character, with the help of Hashem Yisburach and

Na Nach Nachma Nachman MeUman!

Crying to Hashem

HH

The Holy Baal Shem Tov said that when one enters the devotion of Hashem Yisburach he will be attacked viciously by the Yetzehr Hura (evil inclination), with such an onslaught of belligerent thoughts and temptations that he will be left with no option but to cry incessantly to Hashem Yisburach to save him, he will have to cry so much, shed so many tears,  that he will be in danger of losing his eye sight G-d forbid, and will have to pray and cry to Hashem Yisburach not to lose his eye sight due to the copious crying incumbent.

May we merit to cry our hearts out to Hashem Yisburach and fully achieve His love and affection.

Na Nach Nachma Nachman MeUman!

Love lost in sin

HH

Rabbi Nussun writes in Likutay Halachos, and R' Shlomo Carlbach says this over beautifully - it is classic Shlomo Torah, that the main achievement of Yosef's not falling to the temptations of the wife of Poteefar, was that had he sinned he would not have been able to hold strong in his love for his brothers. For such is the nature of sin, it causes one to see bad in others and resent them. Yosef, by staying strong in his holiness, not succumbing to his bodily desires and enticement of the wife of Potifar, was thus able to retain a strong grip on his love for his brothers.

This is one of the most profound Torah's I've ever heard, awesome beyond words.

Na Nach Nachma Nachman MeUman!