by Rabeinu Yona zt”l – beginning of Yesod HaTeshuva
“First thing is to drop the burden of your past completely from your shoulders. Start anew as if you were born today. Now, for 30 days, Three times a day examine your actions (morning, afternoon, evening). If you find any negative behavior confess to G-d over it. This practice will slowly distance you from all sin, since next time temptation comes your way you will say to yourself, ‘how can I have the chutzpa to do this sin, and then confess for it later to G-d.'” (see beginning of Yesod HaTeshuva for more details)
Drop the Past!. G-d created the world in a way that screams renewal. Every day is a brand new beginning. Even if you fall a thousand times, drop it all and start over. Drop the voice of the yetzer hara saying “how can you dare forget your past?”
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Note:
The Yetzer Hara (evil inclination) has 3 basic strategies (from Michtav M’Eliyahu vol.3 pg38):
1. Renewal – he comes back always in different forms.
2. Strengthening – becomes stronger with time. Like someone who decided to stop smoking or learn for a few hours. At first it’s easy, then with time it becomes increasingly difficult.
3. Habit – When someone does something wrong a few times, he loses the feeling of conscience when he repeats it. The sin becomes permitted in his eyes.
The solution to the yetzer hara is to prepare strategies ahead of time.
Kind Courtesy of Daf Yomi Review
The Benoni 