Despair

See all content in Positive Vision Ch. 11 - Teshuva, including Day 86.

Also known as Yiush.

Related reading: The Battle of the Generation - Ch. 10 - Don't Despair. (The yetzer hara tries to use our sins to debilitate us with paralyzing guilt so he can win forthcoming battles of desire and destroy our lives. We must have the right perspective to save ourselves from this tactic so we can fight with enthusiasm in the battle against the yetzer hara.)

Torah Sources

• תורת מנחם אגרות חי"ב מ' ג'תתיג (לגבי קושי בשינוי רגילות רעות)

From GYE Members

• I am a serious avreich learning full time, I learn mussar regularly and constantly strengthen myself with various incentives. I can then usually keep myself clean for 2-3 weeks, then this or that and I am back to square one. I will then go through a phase of a few days with no control depression feeling awful about myself and what I did. I get so upset at myself because of how hard I am trying and how important this is to me that I go through a stage of complete disconnect, guilt and depression. Usually after a few days of this I tell myself that Hashem doesn't want be to feel guilty (at least not this way) because the guilt/depression is causing you to act out (and Hashem obviously doesn't want that...). I found this to be particularly helpful, knowing that even though i was doing something terrible and maybe there would be a time to feel guilty, now isn't that time. Now is the time for a fresh start and a fresh start means no guilt, rather, a new day and a new opportunity. #wilnevergiveup