Dvar Torah from a Phone Call

When you are hearing something disturbing- over and over, do not ignore it- Hashem is sending you a message.

A tool for fighting the Yetzer Hara

From a Shiur by Shira Smiles-Parshat Vayigash: Dual Flames

The Yetzer Hara works by making us feel removed from Hashem. We can fight this by saying, "Hashem is here now!"

"The Joy in Consistency"-Bilvavi Miskan Evneh

From "Getting to Know Your Self" by the author of "Bilvavi Miskan Evneh"

page 244

If you seek pleasure in something new and different, you are stuck in the mentality of a created being, which by nature is always moving and imbalanced. You cannot find true pleasure on that level. The Creator, though, is unchanging; He is timeless. To find His Presence and the deepest pleasure, you must rise above your level and find balance, which transcends all change.

You may be wondering, "Am I supposed to eat the same foods every day? Should I go to work exactly the same way each day? Must I learn the same songs and read the same books? That would be so annoying!".

But why is that annoying? Because you are used to extremes, and you don't recognize the joy in consistency which confers the absolute and true pleasure! The pursuit of extreme movements come from other nations, who do not have a deep connection with Hashem. But we can truly cleave to Him, by connecting to the state without extremes that does not need to change.

We see that learning balance is necessary in order to be able to find the deepest part of yourself. One who does not guide himself in this way is liable to enter the mode of extremism, never to depart from it.

This insight was the final push that I needed to join OA. The realization that the structure of OA is for my spiritual good opened the door for me.

Reminders for Chesbon Hanefesh

From a Shiur by Rabbi Berkowitz on "Keeping Chesbon Hanefesh Going"

Make a sign for yourself that says:

"I live to perfect myself.
I will never perfect myself if I don't do Chesbon Hanefesh daily.
I need Chesbon Hanefesh desperately."

Feeling like you are in control of your life keeps you doing Chesbon Hanefesh daily.

Consistentcy with your Chesbon Hanefesh

From a Shiur by Rabbi Berkowitz on "Keeping Chesbon Hanefesh Going"

How do you make sure that you will be consistent with your Chesbon Hanefesh?

The Yetzer Hara does not want us to do Chesbon Hanefesh on a regular basis. The Yetzer Hara is more worried about this than anything else. Chesbon Hanefesh is the best tool for growth that there is, and the Yetzer Hara will do almost anything to keep us from doing this.
This is the biggest battle you will ever fight.

The only way to do daily Chesbon Hanefesh is to realize that this is the reason that you are alive. The Gra says that this is what we are created for. We are alive for self improvement, and the only way that we can do this is through Chesbon Hanefesh.

The more that we perfect ourselves, the closer that we get to the perfection of Hashem.

I was thinking about this and I suddenly realized what a powerful tool our nightly writting is. Not only do we do a daily Chesbon Hanefesh, but we share it with our sponsor which ensures that we always do it.

Check out our related blogs.

I have been meaning to start a blog to record some of the great shares that I have heard for a long time and I finally did it today.  I was inspired by some particulaly good advice.  If you want to read it click on:

http://tiforoatools.blogspot.com/

The other blog, which is tips for Shabbos and Yomtov is:

http://tioatips.blogspot.com/

The Road to Greatness.

From a Shiur by Rabbi Berkowitz "Intoduction to Chesbon Hanefesh" from Aish Audio.

The road to greatness is in perfecting yourself. You don't want to beg the world for recognition. You want to make yourself great because this is what Hashem created you for, whether or not other people recognize it.

You can not allow other people's perception of you to change your perception of yourself.

Changing the world by changing yourself.

More from the Shiur by Rabbi Berkowitz "Introduction to Chesbon Hanefesh" from Aish Audio





The way to change the world is not by making noise, but by never forgeting that you have to work on changing the world. You have to know that you have to grow in every possible area. All of the troubles of this world are really opportunities for growth. Everyone can be big, everyone can be great, we have to be. You can not sit in the corner and wait for someone else to do things. You have to set goals that help you to change the world. Your number one goal is, "I have to make a difference". If you don't see greatness as a goal you will never get anywhere.

Making Chesbon Hanefesh Real

The 4th Step - made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.

Rabbi Yitzchack Berkowitz- Introduction to Chesbon Hanefesh from Aish Audio

The first thing you have to think about is, "what am I living for?" Everything in your life should reflect your long term goals.

Chesbon Hanefesh mean sitting down and working out the stuff that is floating around in your head and making it concrete. What do I have to do, to get where I want to go. You can not grow if you do not have a clear sense of direction.

Hashem's Plans revealed through the twist and turns of our lives.

Parshat Mikeitz

Rabbi Benish Ginsberg on Naaleh

The Torah says Miketz -at the end of Yosef spending 2 years in jail- Pharoh had a dream that needed interpetation, to tell us that this was no a coincidence.  Hashem had a plan that Yosef needed to be in jail for 2 years, and when the time came for him to come out Hashem caused a natural occurance that brought him out.  This is to teach us that everything that happens in our life is part of Hashem's plan, and even if we don't know why, there is a reason.

Rebbetzin Heller on Chanuhah and Choices

What did the Macabees think of their chances when they began their battle?

They did not know if they would win, they just knew that it was a battle that they had to fight, no matter what.

Results belong to God, choice belongs to man. We are in this world to make choices that are true, that fit with the Torah. We are not here to win battles. This attidude is the reason that they won.

The Mind- Body Relationship and Tefilah

From a Shiur by Rebbetzin Heller

Speech is the bond between the body and the soul. The reason the we are silent durring Shemonah Esrei is that we have to allow the voice of the soul to preside over the body.

Rabbi Shimshon Pinchus on Hanukah

On the Moedim and Shabbas we do not confront the darkness, when they come we stop thinking about our problems. Chanukah is different. The reason that the most bacic mitzvah of Chanukah is the candle is that we are learning to put light in the darkness. Chanukah was the beginning of the longest golus, so it is a time when we have to learn how to put light in the darkness.
The war of Chanukah was not easy, it was a war of 13 against millions. They fought with Miseras Nefesh and there were great sacrifices. We learn from this that if we want to be succesful in this Golus we have to be prepared to struggle.

The light of Chanukah -Rebbetzin Heller

From a Shiur by Reb Heller on Aish MP3

The light of Chanukah is meant to illuminate to us the light of self conquest. This is the opposite of the Greeks, they were into self development but not into self control. We see that true strength is self conquest.

Chanukah is a very big challenge of our self control, but we can know that we are working on the true light of Chanukah.

Leavining the Greek mentality behind.-Shira Smiles

From a Shiur by Shira Smiles on Kosher Tube

Life is not about the Greek mentality that what you see is what you have. Life is about spirituality and working in partnership with Hashem to acomplish much more then we thought we could. Our job is to open ourselves up for inspiration, because when we open ourselves up, it is mindboggling what we can acomplish with Hashem's help.