Marriage as a Strategy Against the Yeitzer Hara:
Chazal say that the Torah is “only speaking in opposition to the yeitzer hara.” Sefer Toldos Yaakov Yosef explains this to mean that the best way to fight the yeitzer hara is to “take her for a wife”, meaning to get married. Once a person is busy running a household and supporting a family, he won’t have time to look for ways to sin or to fritter away his life.
More in this printout
- Defeating the Yeitzer Hara With EmunahThe Ahavas Shalom explains how bitachon and emunah are the primary tools for overcoming the yeitzer hara and achieving victory in one's spiritual battles.
- Fighting for VengeanceThe Ohr Hachaim Hakadosh explains why the Torah prefaces the laws of Isha Yefas Toar by emphasizing that war must be fought solely for the sake of Hashem.
- The Son of the Hated Wife is Always the FirstbornThe Abarbanel explains why the firstborn son is often born to the less-loved wife, citing Hashem's mercy on the oppressed as seen in the story of Leah.
- Like Father Like SonThe Munkatcher Rebbe explains that children emulate their parents' actions over their words, emphasizing the importance of being a positive spiritual role model
- Unbecoming for an Old ManRav Akiva Eiger explains why the exemption for an elderly man's dignity applies to returning lost objects but never to showing kindness to one's own relatives.
- Every Jew Can be FixedThe Chasam Sofer explains that no Jew is beyond reach, teaching that we must draw others close and facilitate their return to Hashem regardless of their past.
- One Who Helps Others Helps HimselfRav Yitzchok of Vorka and the Sefas Emes explain how helping others through the mitzvah of hakim takim ultimately elevates the helper's own character and soul.
- The Enemy Becomes Like a BrotherRabenu Bechaya explains how the mitzvah of helping with a fallen donkey transforms an enemy into a brother by eradicating hatred through acts of kindness.
- A Proud Heart to Serve HashemRav Bunim of Peshischa explains how the word gedilim teaches us to serve Hashem with a proud, uplifted heart rather than feeling too small or humble.
- The Lowly TzitzisRav Yechezkel of Kuzhmir explains why the blessing on a tallis mentions the tzitzis specifically, highlighting the spiritual significance of their lowliness.