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"If a person wants to overcome the Yetzer Hara (evil inclination), it is only through cunning!" • The Daily Lesson from the Gaon and Tzaddik Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a

עורך ראשי
"If a person wants to overcome the Yetzer Hara (evil inclination), it is only through cunning!" • The Daily Lesson from the Gaon and Tzaddik Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a

Presented before you is a summary from the daily lesson as delivered by our teacher, the Rav, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a—yesterday after the Maariv (evening) prayer, Thursday night, the eve of the 2nd of Shevat, Parshas Bo:

So, "Who and who are going?" (Exodus 10:8). Pharaoh said no one would enter the Land. There was no one to set things in order; no one entered the Land [except] Yehoshua (Joshua) and Kalev (Caleb). "And among these there was not a man" (Numbers 26:64)—but the women did enter. A woman is not enticed by anything; she does not believe lies. If women believe in the Tzaddik (righteous leader), they go all the way! There is no such thing as "the Tzaddik lied to you." Korach said it was all a mirage. What did he [Moshe] bring? Lice, frogs? They made a mockery of everything. Korach had his maiden speech; On ben Peles did not attend Korach's speech. Korach explained everything there. But the women did not sin in any sin—not with the [Golden] Calf and not with the Spies. They [the men] tore their ears; everyone walked around with half an ear because they [the men] ripped out their earrings. Aharon said, "Go to the daughters," but the daughters did not want to give their earrings. Therefore, they have Rosh Chodesh (the New Month festival); it is forbidden [for women] to sew, and it is only permitted to lengthen a dress but not for beauty, and it is forbidden to do laundry unless it is for a baby. Now, Rosh Chodesh will only be in another thirty days; whoever merited to say "Ana Hashem Hoshia Na" (Please Hashem, save us now) can bring about salvations. So, how much is Yehoshua? 391. "Mi u'mi haholchim" (Who and who are going) is 222. So what do we do? Everyone should study the Baal HaTurim, who says that Pharaoh saw everything that was going to happen. And a daughter has a mind a million times greater than a man; the daughter is in Chochmah (wisdom) and the son is in Binah (understanding). He [the man] puts all his money into gambling and ends up as absolute zero; if the woman does not watch over the man, he becomes absolute zero. Until Chatzos (midnight), one must study 4 pages of Gemara (Talmud); the girls should say the entire Tehillim (Psalms), and everyone should study with his wife Hilchos Gneiva (the Laws of Theft), Law 5. Reb Noson says that the first "thief" was Hashem. The Emperor sent to Rabbi Chananya, "What kind of G-d do you have? He is the first thief—He stole the rib [from Adam]." If a person wants to overcome the Yetzer Hara (evil inclination), he needs to do it with cunning—to say, "In another five minutes." Like Yaakov (Jacob), "And he stole the heart of Lavan." Why did Yaakov want to deceive him? Reb Noson says we learn from Hashem that He is the first "thief." After a person has fallen into the Sitra Achra (the Other Side/evil forces), if he goes face-to-face, he will not succeed—only through "theft" (cunning). The daughters [Rachel and Leah] said to Yaakov, "He stole us, he sold us." They said it to him themselves. All of this is written in Hilchos Gneiva (Laws of Theft) 5 and 4. Everyone should study with his wife. Every girl should open two seminaries. Now, two hostages, Arbel and Agam, have returned. On Shabbos, only boys return; there are another seventy female hostages in Gaza. If every girl opens a seminary, then we will merit the complete Geulah (Redemption) speedily in our days, Amen!

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