No Holds Barred
No Holds Barred On one of my many trips to raise Jewish awareness in the Diaspora, I sat near a family of four – two parents and two adolescents. As soon as the plane soared skyward, the family dived into their meal, like ravens pecking at their prey. Then I heard the son ask his […]
Preserving His Portion
Preserving His Portion I once had the privilege of accompanying Father on a weekend visit to a Moroccan family. The opulence I observed left me wide-eyed. The table was set in honor of Shabbat. It looked more like a king’s table, designed in grand style. The variety of foods served would put to shame the […]
A Taste of Abstention
A Taste of Abstention The following narrative, which occurred in my youth, taught me a valuable lesson. I was walking through the Moroccan market with Father, zy”a. It was during the season of a specific plant which was very popular cooked together with meat. It was nutritious and high-quality. Even though Father was completely detached […]
Controlling One’s Passions
“Broken desire is sweet to the soul, but turning from evil is an abomination to fools” (Mishlei 13:19) With these words, Shlomo Hamelech warns a person not to be drawn after his desires. Instead, he should subdue them and expunge them from himself. One who completely destroys his desires is considered on the level of […]
A Trip to the Netherworld
A Trip to the Netherworld On a visit to Miami, a man came to me, seemingly interested in telling me his story. But when he stood before me, for some reason, he remained silent and would not open his mouth. I decided to open the conversation. “Are you sitting in a train right now, keeping […]
Eilat – Hothouse of Immodesty
Eilat – Hothouse of Immodesty Ensuring the protection of one’s eyes demands great care and supervision. One’s sanctity depends on this, and it affects his Torah study, as well. A friend of mine once celebrated his son’s bar mitzvah celebration in a Beit Hakeneset in Eilat, Israel. I came to the event, intending to stay […]
Do Not Stray after Your Eyes
Do Not Stray after Your Eyes Many times, people come to me for a blessing for their loved ones. They often bring along a picture of their family, although this is completely unnecessary. I do not need a picture in order to bless them; their names are enough. Although I tell them this time and […]
A Lesson in Protection
A Lesson in Protection I was once asked to deliver a lecture before a group of women. I agreed. When I arrived at the venue, I was met with a surprise. Instead of the anticipated fifty women, approximately five hundred filled the room. They sat patiently, waiting for me to begin. For a moment, I […]
A Skewed View
A Skewed View Once, I had occasion to stop for gas. At the time, a war was raging in Eretz Yisrael. A huge television screen demonstrated, in full color, exactly what was happening in the Holy Land. Needless to say, I did not lift my eyes toward the screen. But, to my chagrin, from the […]
Reaching the Heights
Reaching the Heights On a return trip from bringing chizuk to a community abroad, my escort and I were in high spirits. We had merited strengthening the spiritual level of our fellow Jews, especially the women, who undertook new levels of tzeniut. But the Satan also had booked a seat on our flight. He could […]
Intermingling – A Feast for the Yetzer Hara
Intermingling – A Feast for the Yetzer Hara A man came to me in Lyon and informed me that two weeks prior, he had participated at the azkarah of a prominent man. Of course, there were partitions between the men and the women, as halachah dictates, but since more and more people kept coming, many […]
No Place for Jesting
No Place for Jesting The following incident remains etched in my heart. It is a guidepost which shows just how far one must go in protecting his eyes from forbidden sights. One Purim, Mother wanted to have some fun. She dressed up as a tourist from abroad. She walked into Father’s room and, changing her […]
