An addicted smoker visited a therapist to help him quit. The doctor admitted, “I too used to smoke. I tried quitting by convincing myself that cigarettes are disgusting, harmful to my health, dangerous to my family, and detrimental for my position in society.
“After this inner tirade, I would quit. But several days later I would wake up again and forget my decision completely. ‘Maybe smoking is not so terrible?’ I would rationalize. ‘And what if I don’t smoke around my family, but where nobody sees?’
“This pattern repeated itself constantly. My rationalization brought me to relapse.
“Once,” the therapist explained excitedly, “I tried a different strategy. I took a cigarette in my hand, looked at it and told myself, ‘Yes, this cigarette will bring me pleasure. I want to smoke it. But I will quit!’”
“This approach worked, and I have not smoked a cigarette since. The reason this technique succeeded is that I didn’t fool myself by trying to feel repulsed by cigarettes. Instead, I admitted to myself that I desired it, yet chose to control my desires.”
“Do not say ‘I am nauseated by pork’ or ‘I do not want to wear clothes made of a mixture of wool and linen’ but say, ‘I want to eat pork and wear forbidden mixtures, but what can I do?
My Father in Heaven has decreed that I may not.’”
—Toras Kohanim, 9:10. Quoted in Rashi, Leviticus, 20:6
Schmaltz clogs the arteries and causes deaths by stroke and heart attacks. Using both cigarettes and schmaltz is the equivalent of committing suicide and should be banned...unless of course cigarette companies are bribing Admors.
mormons neither drink or smoke and have the longest lifespan of any religion.
If we are really an light unto the nations we should also lead healthy lives so we will have the longest lifespan!