Downcast Eyes, Uplifted Soul
Downcast Eyes, Uplifted Soul Father, zy”a, always practiced what he preached. He never demanded of another Jew something that he did not do himself. Protecting his eyes was no exception. As is well-known, for the duration of forty years, Father obeyed his father’s command not to leave his house. When he did go out, his […]
Protecting One’s Eyes
“… And not explore after your heart and after your eyes after which you stray” (Bamidbar 15:39) The Midrash relates (Yalkut Shimoni, Vayechi 161) a fascinating tale: Rabbi Mattia ben Charash was sitting in the Beit Hamidrash, engrossed in Torah study. His face shone like the sun, and his countenance was like that of a […]
The Effects of Envy
The Effects of Envy A French boy who was completely non-observant would occasionally visit our yeshiva in Lyon. He would participate in the shiur which I delivered every Tuesday evening. As a result of these shiurim, this young man merited recognizing Hashem and doing complete teshuvah. He once attended a Torah shiur at a different […]
Gossipmongers Gain Nothing
Gossipmongers Gain Nothing I once heard about a man who desecrated the Shabbat in public. I could not remain silent in the face of such flagrant insult to Shabbat and expressed my anger to his family, so that they should not follow in his ways. The man’s nephew decided to take matters into his own […]
Spreading False Rumors
Spreading False Rumors I once met a complete stranger who asked where I came from. I told him that I live in Lyon. When he heard this, he asked, “I heard that there is someone in that city who acts like a hoity-toity rabbi.” I had a distinct feeling he was talking about me. “Who […]
A Heavy Load
A Heavy Load A Jew who regularly attended a Torah shiur once related that he was often swept up in words of lashon hara about good Jews during the shiur. This took away all of his interest in the shiur. It was specifically the landlady, in whose home the shiur took place, a ba’alat teshuvah, […]
The Sickening Effect of Slander
The Sickening Effect of Slander When I was visiting New York to raise awareness of Torah Judaism, a family asked that I visit their sick mother, who lay in a coma in the hospital. When I arrived there, I had a strong feeling that Hashem would send this woman a refuah sheleimah. Therefore, I advised […]
Suspicion Saves the Situation
Suspicion Saves the Situation When I was in Paris, a man came to tell me lashon hara about a fellow Jew. After compelling me to hear his sordid story, he explained that he had only altruistic intentions in relating it. He wanted me to reprove the protagonist for his misdeeds. “How do you know that […]
Free Favors
Free Favors A man once besmirched my name in public, in a most offensive way. The day came when he was met with misfortune. His business collapsed and whatever he tried his hand at turned sour. He needed my help in order to pull himself out of the depths of indigence. I was the only […]
Guard Your Tongue
“Who is the man who desires life, who loves days of seeing good? Guard your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit” (Tehillim 34:13-14) “A healing tongue is a tree of life, but distortion in it breaks the spirit”(Mishlei 15:4) Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai relates (Yalkut Reuveini 26): They asked the snake, “How […]
True Riches
True Riches A very wealthy woman once asked for my advice. Blessed be Hashem, Who gave me the right words to tell her. After she thanked me for my wise words, I felt that her heart had softened somewhat. I tried convincing her to return to Torah-true Judaism. Five years passed. The woman still stuck […]
Cavorting with Confidence
Cavorting with Confidence I once participated in a hachnasat Sefer Torah in Morocco. As we were dancing toward the Beit Hakeneset where the Torah Scroll would be housed, I suddenly noticed a group of Jews who were wanted by the police. They had left their hiding place at great personal risk, in order to join […]
