1) The ideal way to remove impure thoughts from one's mind is to replace them with thoughts of Torah, as the holiness of the Torah helps to prevent sin as Hashem created the Yetzer Hara and created the Torah as its antidote. (See Shulchan Aruch Even HaEzer Siman 23:3 and Talmud Kidushin 30b)
Not only is thinking Torah thoughts an option, it is actually an obligation to focus one's mind on Torah thoughts or even stop what he is doing and go learn some Torah in order to remove impure thoughts from his mind. (See Talmud Sukkah 52b and Rashi to Bava Basra 16a Dibur Hamaschil Bara Lo Torah that since one has this option he will not be able to avoid punishment by saying " I had no choice; I am an Oines")
2) One who is trying to remove impure thoughts from his mind, but us being unsuccessful should say the following Posuk over and over until the thoughts leave his mind:
"Aish Tamid Tukad Al Hamizbayach Lo Tichbeh, an eternal fire should always burn on the Mizbayach (altar)" (Vayikra 6:6)
This Posuk has many deep kabalistic meanings and saying it reminds the Jewish soul that the fire of servitude to Hashem must always burn inside his soul, as every Jew is a miniature Bais Hamikdash, a dwelling place for Hashem's Shechinah and thus all foreign fires, i.e. impurities must be kept out. (See Peleh Yoetz, "Machshavah". See also Shla Hakadosh Sha'ar HaOsiyos, "Lev Tov" where he quotes the Ramak having learned this method directly from Eliyahu Hanavi!)
Another Posuk to say is "Sayafim Saneisi VeTorascha Ahavti,I abhor sinful thoughts, and I love your Torah" (Tehilim 119:113) (Shlah Hakadosh ibid.)
QUESTION & ANSWER CORNER
Reader Submitted Questions of interest on topics related to Halachos we covered, as well as other interesting topic and Answers.
These Q&A are taken from the Q & A pages on the Halacha For Today website.
Although the answers I give to questions are taken directly from the Sifrei HaPoskim, and aren't my own, they are still for study purposes only, NOT for Psak Halacha.
Questions can be emailed to HalachaForToday@Gmail.com
Reader's Question:
What about shoe tying for ladies; [do they also tie the left shoe first?
Answer:
Even though women do not wear Tefilin, they should still tie their left shoe first.(Laws of Daily Living by Rav Simcha Bunim Cohen Shlita page 52 quoting the Shu"t Shevet HaKehasi and Shu"t Dvar Yehoshua)
CHIZUK CORNER
This section is dedicated L'Ilui Nishmas the late Telzer Rosh Yeshiva , HaRav Chaim Yaakov ben Rav Binyomin Moshe Stein Zatzal.
We will B'Ezras Hashem post here each day a short inspirational thought to help us all improve our lives and grow in our service of our Father in heaven, HaKadosh Baruch Hu.
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THANK YOU AND תזכו למצות!
זכר צדיק וקדוש לברכה
I'm sure that anyone standing here tonight can get up and speak for 5 hours regarding the days of Elul. What can I add...what can I share?
The purpose of Elul, is to start at the very beginning, with our eye on the end. "Ani Ledodi, Vedodi Li" - (The roshei Teivos of the word Elul) is an expression of pure love. In other words, these days of Elul are designed for us to practice the art of taking Hashems hand, bringing him in to our lives and never letting go. We are being tasked with the job of developing powerful feelings of love for Hashem Yisborach. This love for Hashem, is what we strive to achieve at the very end of Tishrei and after celebrating the climax of Simchas Torah and Shemini Atzeres. That being the case, why is it that we begin Elul already with stirrings of love for Hashem, if in fact, we are meant to achieve this state at the end of the Yomim Tovim?
The answer to this is reflected in the words of Chazzal when they say, "Sof Ma'aseh B'machashava Techiloh" - "The end result must begin with an initial and complete understanding of the task ahead".
When a person drives up to the Catskills during the summer to be with his family for Shabbos and you ask him where he is going...he won't reply that he is driving to the George Washington Bridge and then to the Palisades and then to.... He will not describe and indicate each step in the process of making his way up to the Bungalow Colony! Instead, he will simply say that he is driving to the Country.
This man has his mind focused on the end result. He understands the objective and he simply fills in the gaps in the middle. Similarly, when a building is constructed, we can ascertain the end result already at the beginning, by means of viewing and understanding the architectural plans and diagrams. The construction crew already knows what they are building and they simply fill in the appropriate steps to achieve the end result.
This is the reason that we begin Elul right away by working on developing our feelings of pure love for Hashem Yisborach! It is precisely because this is the end goal of all of our efforts during this wonderful stretch of Yomim Tovim (each with its own character, hidden meanings and beauty) - to awaken and to strengthen our love for Hashem, that we begin right away with our eye on the prize!
Heard From Harav Shimshon Pincus Zatzal; www.OhrShimshon.com
Important Numbers
