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I
n Hebrew, one of the words for "man" is "gever."…which means to overcome or conquer.…So a true man is one who overcomes. But overcomes what?T
he Talmud (Avot 4:1) says: "Who is a ‘gibor,' a mighty man? He who conquers his evil inclination."T
o explain: The evil inclination is the desire within each human being to follow physical passions. In other words, the desire to smoke, drink, eat and "be a womanizer"…L
ife is full of challenges in these areas. No matter what level we're on, there is always a new test awaiting us. Because the reason for our being here in the first place is to grow by overcoming these challenges.O
f course, we need to engage in the physical world. But we should not do so for its own sake; rather we infuse our physical experiences with an eye toward a higher, spiritual goal.
