YeshivaThe torah world Gateway
Beit Midrash
- Jewish Laws and Thoughts
- Personality Development
- Pathways in Personality Development
The Torah study is dedicatedto the full recovery of
Dvorah bat Miriam
One who wishes to make himself completely taintless in this respect will have to invest quite a bit of effort. All the more so in this day and age, due to the many changes in modes of living. Women today work in most of the professional fields just like men. Men and women spend many work hours together, sometimes more so than with their own spouses. Naturally, friendly relations develop between coworkers during the course of their work, and even if the workers are the sort who practice caution and draw clear moral boundries, the very presence of camaraderie is problematic and can take its toll on the family life.
The prohibition against sexual immorality is not limited to the actual act, but includes anything which leads to it. The Torah is quite explicit in this regard, stating, "Do not come near to uncover nakedness." The Sages, too, have said that God declared, "Don't say to yourself that, 'though it is forbidden for me to cohabit with that woman, if I just hug her a bit I won't have done any thing wrong,' or, 'if I caress her I won't have harmed anybody,' or, 'if I kiss her I will not have done any harm.'" The Almighty says, "Just as when a Nazarene vows to abstain from wine he is forbidden to eat even grapes, raisins, grape juice, or anything derived from the vine, so too, it is forbidden to touch, even in the slightest, any woman other than your own wife. And one who touches a woman other than his own brings death upon himself."
The Sages, we see, compared the prohibition against sexual immorality to the restrictions of a Nazarene. Even though the principle prohibition concerning the Nazarene is the prohibition against drinking wine, the Torah forbade even those substances derived from the wine. In so doing the Torah was in effect teaching the Sages how to enact safeguards to prevent people from violating actual commandments of the Torah. Just as the Torah forbade not only the actual prohibition - the drinking of wine - but forbade and distanced the Nazarene from anything even related to the wine, so it must be with all the commandments of the Torah, for this is God's will.
Pathways in Personality Development (52)
Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed
13 - 13. Theft in the Work Place and in General
14 - 14. Caution Regarding Sexual Immorality
15 - 15. Forbidden Foods
Load More
Following the Torah's lead, the Sages forbade anything even slightly related to the actual prohibition against sexual immorality, whether carried out through action, speech, hearing, sight, or even thought. Thoughts of transgression are more severe than the transgression itself. All of the man's senses have to be shaken clean and purified of every trace of transgression. Do not say to yourself, "I know how to establish boundries, I know how to protect myself. I won't allow myself to get carried away. Since I have good self control I need not be cautious, distancing myself from immoral speech, sights and sounds. It won't cause me to sin." No. The mere act of discussing things which involve sexual immorality, the mere act of viewing or listening to such material, is forbidden in its own right, regardless of the fact that they invite the act itself.
In order to be completely free from sexually immoral impulses one must work very hard. Yet, the more a person advances in cleaning himself of them, the more he frees himself from the enslavement of these impulses. As a result, his life becomes purer and happier, his family life untainted. The children grow up in a healthy and united family, and the effort pays off.
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
fast navigation
Chukat "HOW ENTEBBE STOLE THE BICENTENNIAL
The Difference Between Historic & Eternal"
As we approach America's 250th birthday, it's worth remembering her 200th Bicentennial birthday, on Jul. 4th 1976, when Israel "stole the show" by shocking the world & miraculously saving 101 hostages in a foreign continent. As Pres. As Pres. Trump decides which countries get priority in his new Middle-East, it's worth reminding him of the difference between historic events and eternally historic ones. This obviously connects with this week's parsha, as well!
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 6 - The Parable of the King of India
The advantages of testimony over circumstantial evidence or philosophical speculation.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 5- "Proofs of G-d"
This may be the most important class of the entire book, where we finally get to the Jewish proof of the existence of G-d and truth of the Torah. We should follow His own direction where He tells us how to get to Him: through the Nation of Israel: Jewish history, Jewish prophets (and today, prophecies fulfilled), and national reward & punishment towards Am Yisrael.
Ein Aya One Humanity, One Creator, One Jerusalem
Rav Kook innovatively and beautifully explains this aggadeta where our sages say that after Jerusalem was destroyed her cinnamon fragrance is only found locked in a particular kingdom's treasury.
Shlach Lecha "Why So Many Don't Make Aliya?" - Parshat Shlach
This short article deals with the weird phenomena that every single time Am Yisrael is meant to enter the Land of Israel, throughout the Tanach, 2nd Temple and until today, they "chicken out" and look for excuses. What's the problem with this mitzvah that proves so challenging. The article, based on sources, suggests that the difficulties of Eretz Yisrael is precisely her secret and beauty!
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 4
The class deals with Islam and how the Muslim tries convincing the King of the Khazars, and why he was also rejected.
Beha'alotcha JEWISH STATE= GUIDE TO G-DLINESS & SELFLESSNESS
A Jewish State not only is a good idea, but educates us towards selflessness, altruism and G-dliness in our daily lives.
Ein Aya In Zion Even the Smoke of the Bark is Sweet
Just as Jewish nationalism is different from others, so too our capitol of Jerusalem is totally different than other national capitols. Rav Kook beautifully explains the passage in the Talmud that the trees of Yerushalayim were cinnamon trees.
