Breslov Therapy: THE HOLY EXCHANGE

Sunday, July 22, 2018

THE HOLY EXCHANGE

Torah Literature

Rebbe Nachman teaches: Ideally Torah literature is the greatest way and format to promoting the awareness of Hashem, His Kingship and how to go about connecting to Him from and using this physical world.

The books and teachings of the tzaddikim teach us how to find Hashem in our everyday life, how to get up after every attack from the evil side, and how to internalize and realize our relationship with Him through Torah study, prayer, mitzvah performance and good deeds.

Seeing that the Torah and the tzaddikim promoting the Torah have been around for several millennia, it would be proper to assume that many, many books and writings should have been left behind from the past. However the fact is, whatever Torah literature that is available is only a tiny fraction of what actually should be out there.

WHERE ARE ALL OF THOSE WRITINGS AND TEACHINGS LEFT BY THE TZADDIKIM OF YORE?

Surely Avraham wrote many writings, as our Sages teach that his Talmudic tractate of Avodah Zarah consisted of 400 chapters!!! Where are they? Why wasn’t anything recorded?

Hiding and Burning Torah Literature

Rebbe Nachman teaches that many, many teachings and writings of previous Tzaddikim remain hidden and were even burnt for a higher purpose.

Since for the sake of there being an equilibrium and free choice balance between good and bad, there have also been, over the past millenia, many books and writings of atheistic and heretical teachings. If even a page of these writings would still be existent today, it would be practically impossible to come back and connect to Hashem.

In order for these heretical ideas not to spread, the tzaddikim must hide and even burn their holy writings and teachings.

The Sotah Woman

Rebbe Nachman learns this out from the passage dealing with the Sotah woman, suspected of committing adultery.

The suspected wife was brought by her husband to the Holy Temple, whereby the Cohen-Priest would write on parchment the Torah portion of curses that befall a woman who cheats on her husband.

This portion also contains many names of Hashem which, once written, are forbidden to be erased. The Cohen-Priest would then place this parchment in a jug of ritual water, erasing the entire Torah portion including the names of Hashem.

The suspected woman would then drink from this water. If she was really guilty of committing adultery her stomach, thighs and then her entire body would simply blow up and die. If however, she was truly clean and innocent these waters would bring her blessing: if she was barren, she would now bear children; if she was ugly she would now be beautiful etc.

The Talmud expresses that for the sake of promoting peace between husband and wife, Hashem is willing to allow His “Name” to be erased in the ritual waters.

Furthermore, the Talmud also points out that in Heaven they make a derivative conclusion: now if for the sake of promoting peace between husband and wife, Hashem allows His Holy Name to be blotted out, heretical and atheistic writings which only stir rift, strife and animosity between the Jewish people and their Father in Heaven, all the more so should they be blotted out.

The Name of Hashem

Now, Rebbe Nachman points out the the numerical value of Name-Shem is 340, the same as a Book-Sefer (340). The books and writings of the tzaddikim which gain fame - a “name” - along with spreading Hashem’s fame - “Name” - in the world, are filled with Divine combinations of Hashem’s holy names.

Thus, the tzaddikim willing to “blot out” and hide their books from the public for the sake of promoting peace between husband and wife, and by extension between the Jewish nation and Hashem, by causing Heaven to conceal and destroy heretical writings too.

(For more clarity on these points please listen to: LIKUTEY MOHARAN II LESSON 32)

The 17th of Tammuz

The 17th of Tammuz commemorates primarily the breaking of first set of Tablets, the burning of the Holy Torah scroll in the Holy Temple, and the breaching of the walls of the Holy Temple.

Moshe broke and smashed the Holy Tablets containing the summary of the entire Torah due to the Jews falling into the sin of idolatry.

Logically, since the Torah is the main key and weapon in dealing with heresy, idolatry etc., Moshe should have found some other means to punish the Jews and help them to repent. Why destroy the Tablets - the main means for their survival and help?

However the smashing of the Tablets also blotted out the heretical, atheistic and idolic ideology that came along with the golden calf worship. If that ideology would still exist, it would be impossible for the Jews to properly and wholeheartedly accept and follow the Torah due to the static and confusion generated by the golden calf ideology.

The same is true of the Torah Scroll burnt by the enemies in the Holy Temple. This caused many other heretical books to be burnt.

(The reason why nevertheless we fast and mourn over these incidents since this is not the ideal scenario. Hashem’s Name and Holy books should not be burnt. It is just that due to the perversion and damage caused by sin, we are not able to deal with directly the atheistic and heretical teachings since our faith in Hashem is not strong enough to combat them. The only alternative left is for the tzaddikim and Hashem to hide/damage/burn their holy writings.)

Tisha B’Av

The burning of our Holy Temple on Tisha B’Av is also for a similar reason. Why let the Temple be destroyed if it was the main means to help enlighten the entire Jewish Nation to come back to Hashem? Find some other sort of punishment!

The Holy Temple was where the Supreme Sanhedrin Court resided transmitting Torah rulings to the entire Nation. It was also housing the Holy Ark, containing the original and second Tablets, along with the first Torah Scroll written by Moshe himself. The Holy Temple was thus a source of Torah enlightenment to the entire world.

However, here too, the convolutedness and perversion that the Jewish People sunk into at the time of the Holy Temple was so severe that the negative influence of atheistic ideology would not allow them to appreciate the light and holiness generated by the Holy Temple.

Burning the Holy Temple

By Hashem allowing the Holy Temple to be burnt, we were saved from the atheistic and heretical ideology prevalent at that time.

And since the Sages point out that every generation that the Temple is not rebuilt in, is considered as if the Temple was destroyed also in that generation, we can conclude that the re-”burning” of the Temple today is what is saving us now from the full-force impact of atheistic and foreign ideology.

***

It is our fervent prayer and wish that the Spirit of Mashiach should finally come - to purify our minds and hearts of any foreign and atheistic ideology - thus allowing us to have strong enough faith/emunah to properly receive the Third Holy Temple and thus eradicate forever any trace of heresy left in the world.

“And on that day Hashem will be One and His Name One!”

As the main rebuilding of Yerushalayim and the Holy Temple will come about especially through acts of charity, to send support to needy Torah scholars residing in Yerushalayim please follow this link:

TISHA B'AV SUPPORT

Thank you and be well

Meir Elkabas

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A Basic Analogy of Breslov Therapy tm

By Meir Elkabas

for a brief audio outline please listen to: Breslov Therapy - A Brief Outline

When a person doesn't feel well he goes to a doctor who diagnoses his condition and prescribes a treatment. If the condition is a serious one then he made need to go to a specialist. So too Rebbe Nachman offers a diagnosis to every person at every age and in every situation in life, offering advice - treatment - as to what can be done. Rebbe Nachman is the all around specialist.

In Breslov Therapy, the following material is used:

1- Likutey Eitzot (Advice)

2- The Kitzur (Abridged) Likutey Moharan

3- Likutey Moharan

4- Likutey Tefilot (The Fiftieth Gate)

5- Likutey Halachot.

The very first step is to do what is called hitbodedut - secluded meditation. In hitbodedut one should attempt to pinpoint what one feels to be the root attribute in preventing one's personal development in life.

One will find attributes and characteristics in oneself grouped in two categories: 1-cause/root attributes. 2- effect/resulting attributes. For example, one may suffer from haughtiness and anger. Haughtiness could be the "cause" for the "resulting" anger.

Thus haughtiness is a root attribute that requires priority attention.

Once you have located what you feel to be the "root" cause to other negative attributes, take a look at the book Advice/Likutey Eitzot in the chapter which closest relates to your root. Eg. for haughtiness take a look at the chapter Pride and Humility

After looking up the whole chapter, see which paragraph most relates to what you are going through. Then look up the corresponding lesson in The Kitzur (abridged) Likutey Moharan. Eg. paragraph 21 reads: Humility protects against sexual temptation. Pride arouses it (130). The number (130) refers to lesson 130.

It happens sometimes that you relate to several paragraphs in a single chapter, and you just don't know which one to choose. If this happens take a look at the corresponding lessons in the Kitzur Likutey Moharan and see if your variety of choice still stands or not. If you still cannot choose between several lessons, then take a look at the corresponding prayers on the lessons in the Likutey Tefilot – Fiftieth Gate.

Once you have found what you feel to be the "right" lesson. Start reviewing the actual lesson in the Likutey Moharan over and over again along with the corresponding prayer in Likutey Tefilot.

Get so associated and adjusted to the lesson until you practically know it by heart. As you continue to review, the lesson begins to literally turn "alive" illuminating your life: You can use your life experiences to perceive the lesson, and also use the lesson to perceive your life. All the while continually saying the corresponding prayer along with your own additions.

Learning the lesson in Likutey Moharan activates the actual remedies, guidelines and advices in your life. The more you review the lesson (seeking deeper insight) the more refined and acute is the remedy. Praying to attain the lesson's themes directs this "remedy" to where the spiritual wound is located.

This can be compared to having the right medication, but if you don't apply it to the actual wound, it won't help that much. So too, Rebbe Nachman's deep, profound words actually create a spiritual remedy, but if you don't daven to HaShem to direct the spiritual doses in the right area, you won't get that far. Judaism is based mainly on articulation – in torah and prayer.

Thus far, we have 2 stages in Breslov Therapy: The diagnosis and treatment. The diagnosis is finding the right lesson that relates to you and the treatment in itself has 2 parts: learning the lesson to activate the remedy and davening about it through the Likutey Tefilot on the lesson joined with your own personal hitbodedut.

However, like in any surgery/treatment if there is no pain-killer the treatment hurts, especially in this case where the Rebbe's teachings are going straight to the core of all physical/spiritual maladies. For this, one requires an anesthesiologist. Rebbe Nachman's advice is to always carry along with you two lessons and constantly go with them – lesson 282 and 195.

By going over the lesson and accompanying prayer the treatment is in process. The next stage is the recovery process. This is the Likutey Halachot.

Likutey Halakhot shows you how to implement and apply the lesson's themes, ideals and practical ramifications in day to day life, and how these items are found hidden and underlying various subjects in the Torah.

At the back of every standard edition of Likutey Moharan, you have an index showing the various discourses in Likutey Halachot that are based on a particular lesson in Likutey Moharan (for more details see "The Methodology of Likutey Halachot" at the appendix to the book "Through Fire and Water")

In Summary:

1) The diagnosis is learning the right lesson in Likutey Moharan that relates exactly to what you presently need, offering you advice as to what to go about doing.

2) The actual surgery/therapy/treatment is in itself 2 stages - a) learning the holy words of the lesson have the power to activate the remedy while b) davening about the lesson using the Likutey Tefilot, Tehillim and especially your own hitbodedut "directs" the remedy to the appropriate place.

3) The recovery stage using the Likutey Halachot which guides you how to implement the lessons ramifications in your life on a broader scale to cover just about every area in life.Although note: since the process is painful you will need constant dosages of lesson 282 (Azamra) and 195. Also, these 3 stages may be done simultaneously.

The lesson in Likutey Moharan should be reviewed over and over again until you literally know it almost by heart. While reviewing questions will and should pop up. You may reach a point where the lesson might become a bit dry. At this point you should go a step deeper and begin to delve into the main commentaries on Likutey Moharan.

There are 4 main commentaries on the Likutey Moharan: 1) Parparaot LeChochmah 2) BeIbey HaNachal 3) Mey HaNachal 4) Biur HaLikutim.

As you learn the lesson with these commentaries, you will notice that they ask most of the questions that you yourself had (it makes you feel good that you are at least on the right track!!!).

Furthermore they will arouse your attention to newer and deeper perceptions into the lesson which will only enhance your feeling and excitement to connect with the "soul" of the lesson.

This is especially true with the fourth commentary, the Biur HaLikutim. Biur HaLikutim is a very, very deep commentary on the Likutey Moharan, which requires you to be totally absorbed into the lesson in order to actually understand what he is saying. The author developed 18 rules to learning the Likutey Moharan which he culled from the writings of Reb Noson.

With all this simultaneous input from the Likutey Moharan, Likutey Tefilot, Likutey Halachot, etc. you will amazingly see how your whole life will presently revolve around the lesson. You will be able to connect everything in life as hints to the lesson, from your daily prayer services to your spouse's latest arguments.

For most people entering the Likutey Moharan with its accompanying commentaries is too deep to begin with. Therefore it is highly suggested and recommended to use the BRI's translation and commentary to the Likutey Moharan.

The commentary collects all the commentaries as they relate to understanding the simple flow of the lesson, along with accompanying background info to all the verses, Talmudic, Midrashic, Zoharic and Kabbalistic quotes that Rebbe Nachman refers to.

The feeling and experience of how Rebbe Nachman "dresses-up" his perception in a Biblical verse or quote from Chazal is truly inspiring. It could literally ignite you with fiery words in your personal hitbodedut. In essence this is the "shpitz" of Breslov Therapy - to renew and enflame yourself with powerful and deep words of prayer to Hashem in order to effect positive changes in life.

People generally ask: Does Breslov Therapy really work? Is it proven and tested?From personal experience of almost 20 years it has helped tremendously!!! However, there are practical hints that you can use to see if you're headed in the right direction:

1) if things do not change in life - have patience and keep on going until you do see some change.

2) If things start to get worse, this may also be a good sign, as Rebbe Nachman states, that at the beginning of a healing process, the sick person normally gets worse but then gets better.

3) If things get just worse and worse and worse - then you could assume that you are in the wrong direction, and take another lesson to work on.

Another point to take note of - if you do see positive changes in life with a specific lesson, continue until the moment you don't see or feel any noticeable changes. Know then that you have received the main points of the lesson. Look into another characteristic that you would like to work on.

When getting adjusted to the Likutey Tefilot and Likutey Halachot on the accompanying lesson you will notice that they relate to you more than anything else in life. From this you can see Reb Noson's greatness, in that he continues to be your best and most understanding friend in life.

If after all is said and done, Breslov Therapy still doesn't work, then possibly the problem is more profound. I.e. if a person goes to a "doctor" to receive treatment, and then argues with the doctor about his treatment, the patient won't get too far. One must trust and put his faith in the "doctor" that he is giving the best treatment possible.

So too, for Breslov Therapy to work one must have faith and trust that Rebbe Nachman knows his stuff and offers us the best diagnosis possible to help our situations. A suggestion to build this faith would be to learn the following books: 1) Rabbi Nachman's Wisdom 2) Tzaddik - A Portrait of Rabbi Nachman.

Another important item which can help is to actually visit the gravesite of Rebbe Nachman in Uman, Ukraine, and simply ask him to open one's heart and soul to the healing effects of his teachings. Judaism is based on the belief that tzaddikim never die and their spirit can still be found hovering over the grave.

For more info please contact Meir Elkabas:

WhatsApp:

1-732-800-1863

breslovtherapy@gmail.com

Sunday, July 22, 2018

THE HOLY EXCHANGE

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