Part Fifteen of "Pathways in Character Development"
Just as one must be careful not to eat poison or substances which contain dangerous toxins, so too must one distance himself from forbidden foods, for they are poison for the soul.
Part Fourteen of "Pathways in Character Development"
In order to be completely free from sexually immoral impulses one must work very hard. Yet, the more a person advances in cleansing himself of them, the more he frees himself from their enslavement.
Part Thirteen of "Pathways in Character Development"
It is not enough that one refuses to steal time and money from others, the mere thought of such behavior ought to strike one as repulsive.
Part Twelve of "Pathways in Character Development"
The desire to attain wealth is one of the strongest drives in man's soul, and special attention is needed if one wishes to clean himself of this tendency completely.
Part Eleven of "Pathways in Character Development"
One who has internalized the quality of "Nekiyut" has developed the capacity of fine discernment, and therefore distances himself from anything even slightly resembling sin.
Part Ten of "Pathways in Character Development"
After initial repairs have been made comes the stage of fundamental improvement, fundamentally cleaning one's qualities of every speck of filth.
Part Nine of "Pathways in Character Development"
When a person frees himself of exaggerated fears and fills himself with a healthy sense of confidence, he is saved from one of the sources of laziness.
It is possible to change and it is possible to overcome weaknesses. It is possible to develop the quality of "zerizut" and to overcome the tendency to laziness.
Part six of "Pathways in Character Development"
Every mitzvah which presents itself must be carried out immediately. "When a mitzvah presents itself," say the sages, "don't put it off."
Part five of "Pathways in Character Development"
Be bold as a leopard, light as an eagle, swift as a deer, and strong as a lion, to do the will of your Father in heaven.
Part four of Pathways in Character Development
If man were aware of the significance of his actions and his speech he would weigh each and every act before carrying it out, and would check and examine each and every word before emitting it from his mouth.
Part Three of "Pathways in Personality Development"
Through the Torah one can comprehend the positive
value of each good act and the severity of each bad act.
Part Two of "Pathways in Personality Development"
One who wishes to strengthen his personality
and to develop the components of his character
must begin by becoming acquainted with himself through his actions.
Part One of "Pathways in Personality Development"
When man lacks awareness of his behavior, he is like a blind man walking on the edge of the river, whose danger is no doubt great and whose demise is certainly closer than his deliverance.
Just as it is forbidden to deceive a person monetarily, selling him a product for an exorbitant price, so is it forbidden to deceive a person verbally. It is forbidden to say things which constitute deception, or which cause a person shame or grief.
“Do not place a stumbling block before the blind.” In other words, when asked for advice, a person must give the same advice that he would want given to himself. He should consider the welfare of the one who seeks advice, and nothing else.
Tale-bearers and slanderers cause tension and controversy. They claim to have pure intentions, and that they only wish to warn and reprimand people. However, the true nature of their remarks can be discerned in what ultimately results from them.
Man is called upon to overcome his natural desire to take revenge. He must overlook the offense and refrain from retaliating when the opportunity to do so presents itself. Not only should one not take revenge, one should not even hold a grudge.
“Distance yourself from that which is false.” This implies that not only should a person avoid outright and deliberate lies, he must distance himself from any semblance of falsehood. That is, a person must be even avoid giving a wrong impression.
