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Showing posts with label Hisbodidus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hisbodidus. Show all posts

Monday, August 18, 2025

Likutay Moharan - Volume 2 - Torah-teaching 25

Likutay Moharan II, Torah 25: Hisbodidus Is a Supreme and Great Virtue Above All

hisbodidus [solitary prayerful meditation] is a supreme and great virtue above all. That is, to designate for oneself, at the very least, an hour or more to be alone in some room or in the field and to pour out one’s sichah [speech] between oneself and one’s Maker with arguments and sayings, with words of grace, appeasement, and conciliation, to request and beseech before Him, blessed be He, that He bring one close to His service in truth. And this tefillah [prayer] and sichah should be in the language that one speaks, that is, in lashon Ashkenaz [Yiddish] (in our country). For in lashon hakodesh [Hebrew], it is difficult for one to pour out all one’s sichah, and also the heart is not drawn after the words because one is not so accustomed to it, for it is not our way to speak in lashon hakodesh. But in lashon Ashkenaz, which we converse and speak in, it is easier and closer to break one’s heart. For the heart is drawn and closer to lashon Ashkenaz because one is accustomed to it. And in lashon Ashkenaz, one can pour out all one’s sichah and relate before Him, blessed be He, all that is in one’s heart, whether charatah [regret] and teshuvah [repentance] for the past or requests and supplications to merit to draw close to Him, blessed be He, from this day forward in truth, and the like, each according to one’s level.

And one should be very careful to accustom oneself to persist in this every day at a specific hour, as mentioned above. And the rest of the day, one should be in simchah [joy], as mentioned above. And this practice is very, very great in virtue and is a very good path and advice to draw close to Him, blessed be He. For this is a general advice that includes everything. For regarding all that one lacks in the service of Hashem or if one is completely far from His service entirely, regarding all, one should pour out one’s sichah and request from Him, blessed be He, as mentioned above. And even if sometimes one’s words are blocked, and one cannot open one’s mouth to speak before Him, blessed be He, at all, even so, this itself is very good, that is, the preparation that one is ready and stands before Him, blessed be He, and desires and yearns to speak, but cannot. This itself is also very good. And one can also make from this itself a sichah and tefillah. And from this itself, one should cry out and beseech before Him, blessed be He, that one has become so distant that one cannot even speak. And one should request from Him, blessed be He, mercy and supplications that He have compassion on one and open one’s mouth, so that one can pour out one’s sichah before Him.

And know that many, many great and renowned tzadikim [righteous ones] related that they reached their level only through this practice. And the wise one will understand from oneself the greatness of the virtue of this practice, which ascends higher and higher. And it is a matter equal for every soul, from small to great, for all can conduct this practice, and through it, they will come to a great level. Fortunate is the one who holds fast to this. Also, it is good to make a tefillah from the Torah, that is, when one learns or hears some Torah teaching from a true tzadik, then one should make from it a tefillah. That is, to request and beseech before Him, blessed be He, regarding all that is said in that teaching, when will one also merit to attain all this, and how far one is from this. And one should request from Him, blessed be He, that He grant one to attain all that is said in that teaching. And the wise one and the one who truly desires will be led by Hashem in the path of truth and will understand from oneself, thing from thing, how to conduct oneself in this so that one’s words will be words of grace and proper arguments to appease Him, blessed be He, that He bring one close to His service in truth very much. And especially when one makes a tefillah from the Torah, from this are made very great delights above.



Monday, July 21, 2025

Likutay Moharan - volume 2 - Torah-teaching 100

Volume 2 - Hitbodedut

Volume 2

100 – All of Them Reached Their Level Only Through Hitbodedut

It was told to me that he said, that from small to big, it is impossible to be a truly kosher person, except through hisbodidus [solitary devotion].

And he mentioned many renowned and authentic tzadikim, and said that all of them did not reach their level, except through hisbodidus.

And he also took—for example—a simple man, from the grandchildren of the Baal Shem Tov, of blessed memory, and said:

"Also this one expresses what he has to say before Hashem, blessed be He, with great weeping."

And he said that the descendants of the Baal Shem Tov are especially accustomed to this practice, as they come from the seed of King David, peace be upon him.

And David's entire occupation was this concern: that he would deeply break his heart before Hashem, blessed be He — which is the essence of the Book of Psalms [Sefer Tehillim] that he established, as explained elsewhere.



Wednesday, July 2, 2025

Likutay Moharan - volume 2 - Torah-teaching 25 - Hisbodidus

Torah 25: Hitbodedut is a Supreme and Greater Virtue Than All

Hitbodedut is a supreme and greater virtue than all, namely, to set aside, at the very least, an hour or more to seclude oneself alone in some room or in the field, and to express one’s personal discourse [sichah] between oneself and one’s Creator, with arguments and parables, with words of grace, appeasement, and conciliation, to request and plead before Him, blessed be He, that He draw one close to His true service. And this prayer and discourse should be in the language that one speaks, namely, in Yiddish [lashon Ashkenaz] (in our lands), for in the holy tongue [lashon hakodesh], it is difficult for one to express all of one’s discourse, and also the heart is not drawn after the words because one is not so accustomed to that language, as it is not our custom to speak in the holy tongue. But in Yiddish, in which we converse and speak, it is easier and more accessible to break one’s heart, for the heart is drawn and closer to Yiddish because one is accustomed to it. And in Yiddish, one can express all of one’s discourse, and all that is in one’s heart one can express and recount before Him, blessed be He, whether it be repentance and return for the past, or requests and supplications to merit drawing close to Him, blessed be He, from this day forward in truth, and similar matters, each according to one’s level.

And one should be very careful to accustom oneself to persist in this every day, for a designated hour as mentioned above, and the rest of the day one should be in joy, as mentioned above. And this practice is of exceedingly great virtue, and it is a very good path and advice for drawing close to Him, blessed be He, for this is a general advice that encompasses everything. For whatever one lacks in the service of Hashem, or even if one is completely distant from His service, blessed be He, in every respect, one should express one’s discourse and request from Him, blessed be He, as mentioned above. And even if at times one’s words are blocked, and one is unable to open one’s mouth to speak before Him, blessed be He, at all, nevertheless, this itself is very good, namely, the preparation that one is ready and standing before Him, blessed be He, and desires and yearns to speak but is unable. This itself is also very good. And one can also make a discourse and prayer from this itself, and about this itself one should cry out and plead before Him, blessed be He, that one has become so distant that one cannot even speak. And one should request from Him, blessed be He, mercy and supplications, that He have compassion on one and open one’s mouth, so that one may express one’s discourse before Him.

And know that many great and renowned tzadikim recounted that they reached their level only through this practice. And the wise one will understand for oneself the greatness of the virtue of this practice, which ascends higher and higher. And it is a matter accessible to every soul, from the small to the great, for all can adopt this practice, and through it, they will come to a great level. Fortunate is the one who holds fast to this. Also, it is good to make a prayer from the Torah, namely, when one studies or hears a teaching of Torah from a true tzadik, then one should make a prayer from it, namely, to request and plead before Him, blessed be He, regarding all that is said in that teaching, when will one merit to attain all of this, and how distant one is from it. And one should request from Him, blessed be He, that He grant one the merit to attain all that is said in that teaching. And the wise one who truly desires will be led by Hashem in the path of truth and will understand for oneself one thing from another, how to conduct oneself in this so that one’s words are words of grace and proper arguments to appease Him, blessed be He, that He draw one close to His true service exceedingly. And especially when one makes a prayer from the Torah, from this, great delight is created above.



Tuesday, December 5, 2023

The Desirous Ways of the True Tzadikim

Goals of the True Tzadikim to Aspire

 

Ultimately, everyone will be judged before G-d, our Sages obm urged, in many different ways and places, for people to preempt that judgment by making their own self judgment on a regular basis. Much of this falls under the category of hisbodidus, for which we printed the book Hisbodidus – Alone Time. Here we are going to study one query presented in Tana Divay Eliyahu (25), “that every single one of Israel is obligated to say, ‘When will my deeds reach the deeds of my forefathers, Avrohom Yitzchok and Yaakov’?”

What was so special about our forefathers that HY chose them and favors them over everyone, and we are told to emulate them,[1] and pray to emulate them [- in the blessing before Shema, ‘for the sake of our forefathers who trusted in You, and You taught them the laws of life – to do Your will with a complete heart, so (too) be gracious with us and teach us’]?

To date I have found in the Rishonim two main approaches.

 

The First Approach

The first approach is presented almost[2] explicitly in the Torah itself (Genesis 18:17-18), “And Hashem said, will I cover up from Avrohom what I am doing? And Avrohom will surely become a large and powerful nation, and they will be blessed through him, all the nations of the earth. For I know him [-an expression of affection and cherishment, not just an acquaintance] ‘limaan’- because he will command his children and his house (/household) after him, to adhere to the way of Hashem, to do charity and justice etc..”

Here Hashem tells us that the reason why Avrohom was so special is because he gives over the holy way of Hashem. Our Sages recounted numerous ways and enterprises Avrohom employed to spread the true faith in Hashem. In The Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman (Cha-yay Moharan 395), Rabbi Nachman describes how Avrohom would enter a city and run around screaming, “Gevald gevald (-woe/astonishing-far out)”, until everyone was chasing him as they used to chase the crazy, and then he would reverse the tables on them, and challenge their idiotic belief in idolatry, he was a tremendous expert, with 400 full treatises on the subject, and he would detoxify them from their abhorrent beliefs and rehabilitate them, see there at length. Maimonides also describes at length (in his laws regarding idolatry, chapter 1) how Avrohom figured out the truth and found Hashem and went on to bring the masses to the true faith.

 

Thus, in a very general sense we see why Avrohom was and is so special and beloved by HY. However, it gets more complicated. Shem (-son of Noach) and Aivehr (-great grandson of Shem) had a yeshiva where they taught true knowledge of HY, day and night, the forefathers learned in their yeshiva[3]. So why and how were the forefathers so much more special than them?

This question is slightly broached by Reyevid in his glosses to the aforementioned Maimonides. The Reyevid asks, how is it that only Avrohom objected the worship of idolatry, what about Shem and Aivehr, how is it possible that they didn’t object? The Reyevid answers that perhaps Shem and Aivehr did object, but the people hid their idolatry from them, so there was never a direct confrontation like Avrohom had, so only Avohom actually smashed and destroyed the idols.

 

The Ramchal (in Adir Bamuroam, Michon Ramchal 19-20) directly addresses this issue. His primary question, which is also part of our query, is what is so special about Rabbi Shimon bar Yoachai that he and his Zohar are the key to the entire redemption and revelation, and all the supernal souls of the tzadikim, and all the angels, do not cease to sing his praise.[4]

“Rashb”i zlh”l, all the matters were always clear before him, like a person who sees something and it is pictured in his heart, and there was no fuzziness or murkiness in his knowledge. However, before him, after the destruction (of the Temple) it is said (Psalms 74:9), and there is no one with us who knows “ad mah (-anything),” “ad mah” is like “without anything”. Meaning – there is no one that know the matter that will be, that is – nothing. And see, that it doesn’t say: and there isn’t in/amongst us, rather: and there isn’t with us. And this is because in truth, even still, there wasn’t a complete lack of some great scholars in Israel. However the matter is like, from Noach until Avrohom, because behold there were righteous men like Shem and Aivehr and their court, but they didn’t mingle with the rest of the generation. And their generation didn’t find from them great benefit, because they stood to themselves, and their good wasn’t passed on to the others. So it was when prophecy ended from Israel, behold (even still) there remained many scholars. For behold in the era of the Tana-im there was great wisdom in Israel, however, even still behold they knew secrets (-of the Torah), every one of them, but the matters were not settled well in their hearts, just, every one knew what they conceived/attained (-hasagah), and the matters were like a sealed book. Because someone who doesn’t stand (-comprehend) on the true content of the matter, behold the matters are extremely blocked, because their way is concealed from the intellect of man. Behold so you see also after Rashb”I ascended to the house of his resting (-passed away), that the scholars (who came after him, when talking of the secrets of the Torah) stammered in their tongue, and did not speak outright. And even still, behold they were great noted scholars, knowledgeable of the Kabala on its formulations, however, they did not establish a yeshiva to make a great composition like the Sefer HaZohar which the supernal and the lower ones entered in it. Just, they stood to themselves and did not join the others, and so the world was missing this knowledge. Therefore it says: and there is not with us the knowledge of anything, because what is with us, there isn’t knowledge of anything, because it isn’t called knowing anything [-but it doesn’t say there isn’t in/among us, because there were great scholarly saints amongst them that did have knowledge, but even still in the broader scheme their knowledge was obsolete].”

See there amazing wonderous revelations at length.

The Ramchal makes an explicit corollary between the prominence of Avrohom, who was chosen by God as the first forefather of Judaism, to Rashbi. The Ramchal seems to me to be making two definitive qualitative distinctions of these over their peers and the rest of their eras. The first point is the clarity and mastery of the matters settled well in their hearts, which seems to have opened them up and empowered them to the second point, their sharing and spreading their knowledge with the others, what the Ramchal calls intermingling. Shem and Aivehr had a large yeshiva (see also beginning of Bris Menucha), but their knowledge and teachings remained isolated and confined to only those who studied by them, whereas Avrohom brought the faith and knowledge to the masses. Rashbi did not overtly engage with the masses, but the Ramchal explains how he purified all the souls of Israel, even releasing them from gehenim, and fixing them in their soul’s roots, the entire creation is incorporated in the Zohar [This is already closer to the second approach of the desirous ways of the true tzadikim]. It could be that this way of the Rashbi of not physically intermingling, was only possible after the giving of the Torah to the Jews, when all the Jews became responsible for one another, whereas in the time of Avrohom there was a need for actual physical interaction. Also, Rashbi really only laid the foundation for the redemption, because there was an edict for 1000 years of exile (Zohar Pikuday 227b, Tikunim Chadashim of Ramchal beginning of Tikun 59 see the footnotes there for further references), and the Zohar was hidden. The Baal Shem Tov seemed to have two objectives, training the elite, and strengthening the commoners. Rabbi Nachman sought out and addressed the entire world equally, from the greatest saintly scholars to the heretical maskilim (-“enlightened” Jews).

The Arizal says that there is a play off between being intermingled with everyone, to educate and elevate them, and self perfecting. The Arizal says that Chanoch (-preflood) abandoned his generation and focused just on perfecting himself, until he attained the spiritual state of an angel, whereas Moshe Rabbainu didn’t merit to achieve that, because he sacrificed his own personal gains to intermingle with everyone. The Chasam Sofer seems to draw upon this exact teaching (although he doesn’t cite it, but he probably refrained in general from citing works of kabala, or perhaps unconsciously he drew upon it from his memory), proving and building from it a principle that it is most important to spread the true faith, more than anything else, including Torah study, for this was the way of our forefather Avrohom and Moshe Rabbainu.

The Choavas Halevuvos (Duties of the Heart, Shaar Ahavas Hashem – Love of Hashem, Chapter 6) wrote that even if a person would be able to be almost like an angel in perfecting himself, it would not reach the merit of someone who brings people back to the true faith.

Also see Sefer Hamidos, entry of Prayer item 1, a person needs to yearn and long for the general good, even if this will draw upon him personally, a loss. Also pursuant to this conversation is the matter discussed at length in tractate Megila, that some of the Sanhedrin did not approve of Mordichai’s role and efforts as they detracted from his Torah learning, and his name is listed in a lower spot amongst them – whereas according to the holy books he was the tzadik of the generation - so why isn’t he first?!

Rabbi Nachman revealed in Likutay Moharan 53 that the tzadikim do not lose out by their endeavors to bring back people in repentance. Rabbi Nachman explains that each wayward person has some point that is obfuscating him, and the tzadik is missing these points, and needs them to complete his perfect knowledge, therefore the tzadikim would chase after the sinners to return them in repentance, in order to perfect their own daas (reality of knowledge).[5]

If the preeminent devotion to HY is spreading the faith, this teaching of Rabbi Nachman is astonishing, why would he need to explain why the tzadikim are so proactive in returning people to HY (-answering, to complete their daas), there is nothing higher?! From here it is evident that the state of the masses is not the ultimate goal, just, they are an extension of the tzadik, as the Talmud says everyone was only created to prop up the tzadik (“litzehves”) Indeed the Ramchal presented this goal (-of rectifying the masses) only as a derivative of his first criteria, the clear mastery of the knowledge, and this leads us to the second approach.  

 

 

The Second Approach of the Desirous Ways of the True Tzadikim

 

The Sefer Chasidim writes (article 165): And why does the Holy One blessed He love the forefathers, because the entire day and the entire night, their hearts didn’t veer from contemplating the desires/objectives of Heaven, as it says (Proverbs 23), “just with the fear of Hashem the entire day,” etc. because the entire twenty four hours [in one order] they were not distracted from the desires/objectives of Heaven, even in a dream etc., see there.

Similarly, in the Iggeress Hakodesh – attributed by some to the Ramban, it says, how the forefathers’ minds were bound to the supernal light without even a moment of interruption, see there[6].

 

Uniting the Two Approaches

Faith is simple, it is above all intellect and sophistry. However, there are many levels of faith, and between these layers, depending on the level, there are tremendous systems. HY is One, yet He created the vast universe and its workings, and man is a microcosm of it all. Everything has a purpose and function, and everything is delivering messages from HY every second, according to the exact time and place. Everything is proclaiming the glory of HY, but it is now sunken. The glory is raised when even the estranged and alienated, even the idolaters come to recognition and acknowledgment of the greatness of HY. However, it is impossible to reach out to them, except by means of the Torah. When the glory is restored, there is awe of HY, which is completion. With completion there is a personal peace – in one’s microcosm. From there one can pray for and bring peace to the entire world. This is a very succinct incomplete summary of the secret of Chanuka revealed in Likutay Moharan 14.

A person can not just bind their mind to HY at all times. Each second has a different property and import, and there will be different challenges throughout the different times and phases of life. In order to master all these challenges people engaged in hisbodidus and hisboninus, secluding themselves in training how to always be connected meaningfully to HY.[7] When a person reaches higher levels, when their soul already encompasses many, their connection to HY is going to be on a much higher scale, especially as they reach perfection. This is what Rabbi Nachman wrote in Likutay Moharan that the true tzadikim ran after the wayward to return them in repentance, in order to gain perfection of their own daas. Daas is reality of knowledge of HY – real time connection. In any given second or place, they might need that persons point for their connection to HY. The tzadikim outreach was based on their own mastery of faith and true Divine knowledge, which is live and working intellect of the Divine which runs the entire world. With this knowledge settled in their hearts they proceeded to spread the true faith to the masses. However those who didn’t master the Divine knowledge, even if they were privy to huge amounts of Divine secrets, but didn’t merit to have mastered it in its live working order, couldn’t develop it further to students or the masses.[8]  



[1] The Ramchal in Derech Aitz Chaim wrote:

“Being that the Holy One Blessed He desired that man should be the possessor of yetzer (-inclination), that he could equally be won or victorious, there [He] put in them (the) knowledge, just (that it is) sealed like a coal, and so that it can spread out like a flame, and the becheeruh (-choice) is in the hands of the man. And our Sages o.b.m. said (Bava Basra 78b): “‘Therefore the rulers say come (plural) to Cheshboan (name of a city)/accounting (Numbers 21:27),’ ‘The rulers’, these are the rulers over their yetzer (-inclination), ‘Come to Cheshboan/accounting’ come and let us reckon the reckoning of the world!” Because someone who does not rule over his yetzer (-inclination), will never set himself to this, however, those who rule over their yetzer, they will do this matter, and they will teach it to others to do it. Behold, a man is destined to reckon the accounting of his business, the business of temporal life, so why would he not put his heart, even for one hour, also for this, to reckon a reckoning of substance: What is he? And why did he come to the world? Or, what does the King of the kings of kings, the Holy One Blessed He, ask of him? And what will be the end of all his matters? This is the greatest and strongest antidote that one can issue against the yetzer (-inclination), and it is easy, and its enterprise is great, and its fruit (-effects) abundant, that a man should hold up every day for at least one hour, free of all other thoughts, to contemplate just upon this matter which I said. And he should ask in his heart, “What did the early ones, the forefathers of the world, do, that Hashem so desired them?[1] What did Moshe Rabbainu (-Moses) r.i.p. do? What did David the Messiah/anointed/chosen of Hashem do? And all the greats who were before us?” And one should raise (the idea) in his mind, how good it would be for a man to do so all the days of his life as well, and it will be good for him!

“Then he should channel his thoughts to know, in what condition he is to be found and standing, in accordance to the coveted way which these men of historical repute traversed, or not? Or if the power of the yetzer (-inclination) is too much for him, and he can’t contend with one stronger than him?

It is for this the holy Rabbi Shimon son of Yochai was solicitous and screamed like a crane, in his Tikunim (-rectifications – Tikunay Zohar), the tenth Tikun, and this is a quotation: “Veye <woe> upon the people whom the Holy One Blessed He is incarcerated with them in exile, ‘And he (Moses) turned this way and that, and he saw that there was no man (Exodus 2:2)’, just (each) person turned to his way, in their occupation, in their ways.”

 

[2] According to Rashi’s rendering of the verse presented here, the Torah actually states the cause of Hashem’s ‘knowing’ Avrohom. However, there are other interpretations which don’t retain an actual statement of cause, nevertheless in the context, Hashem is clearly quantifying why He favors Avrohom and will not keep him in the dark.

[3] Even still, in Likutay Moharan 142 Rabbainu says that Avrohom had no one to learn from, see there.

[4] Rabbi Shimon’s teacher was Rabbi Akiva, of whom the Talmud in Menuchos says the highest praises. [Rabbi Akiva said to Rabbi Shimon (Yerushalmi Sanhedrin 1:2), “It is sufficient for you, that I and your Creator recognize your power.”] Rabbi Akiva was a disciple of Rabbi Eliezer who said (Sanhedrin 68a), “A lot of Torah I learned, and/but I didn’t deplete from my teachers even as much as a dog laps from the ocean; a lot of Torah I taught – and/but my students didn’t deplete from me, just as much as a brush in a tube.” Rabbi Eliezer was a disciple of Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakai (-and both only said over what they received from their masters – Succa 28a). Rabbi Yochanan be Zakai was the smallest student of Hillel Hazukain (Bava Basra 134a). So how is it that Rabbi Shimon, who is a student of a student in a chain of diminishing prowess, is considered the most prominent.

[5] This seemingly disputes the aforementioned teaching of the Arizal, that there is a play off between the two goals. It would seem to me that in the quest for spiritual heights, there are ways of reaching very high levels like Chanoch did, even surpassing Moshe Rabbainu, however it is lacking breadth. The souls of Israel are much much higher than angels, and in order to properly build the holy soul one needs the breadth – which predominantly is a question of mastery over bechira (free choice), and the soul can emulate the perfect knowledge minus five points as explained in Likutay Moharan, and therefore the tzadikim, who chose with their bechira to sacrifice their own spiritual attainments for the sake of humanity, they are busy gathering all these points which add to the breadth of their soul. In the short-term Chanoch jumped ahead, but ultimately the prominence rests with all of Israel, with the tzadikim at the head. [Also see Likutay Moharan 2:2:5 that even the mitzvos of the weekdays are an aspect of sadness, because they are under the jurisdiction of Mata”t, the aspect of slave, but Sabbos is the aspect of son – ‘ben’, see there. Chanoch is Mata”t, and the Yicheeda is known as Ben Choarin].

Perhaps this is what Rashi says that Chanoch was taken before his time, because he was easily prone to falling to sin. This is astounding for someone who attained almost the highest spiritual height, that of Chaya. Perhaps, in order for his to ascend to the very highest level of Messiah, the level of Yicheeda, he would already have to intermingle with the people, and for that he never was prepared.

[6] Brought down in Shaaray Kedusha of Rabbi Chaim Vital 4:2:13. “And understand from it a great secret in the matter of ‘The G-d of Avrohom, G-d of Yitzchok, and G-d of Yaakov’ etc., and also when they were engaged in eating and drinking and conjugation, and the other bodily functions, our Sages obm asked, and said as well, ‘what will be of the Torah (Kedushin 66. i.e. when will they have time to study), and the answer was, that also in all the bodily engagements, all their intentions were for the sake of Heaven (- the Talmud resolves in the end, that since they were chasidim, their Torah was preserved), and their thoughts did not detach from the supernal light even for a single second, and from [the midst of] this Yaakov merited to beget twelve tribes, for all of them were perfect tzadikim, without a twist or intransigence, and they were all worthy of being in the image of the order of the world, the bearers of the vessels of Hashem, because his thoughts didn’t detach from the supernal bond, even at the time of coupling and conjugating, and understand this well, and therefore King Shlomo obm said in his succinct parables, ‘in all your ways know him’ etc..”

[7] The booklet Ikray Emuna explains the hisbodidus the Bal Shem Tov do achieve this constant state of awareness, communication, and unity with HY. The Rishonim, especially cited in Shaaray Kedusha of Rabbi Chaim Vital (-in the fourth gate which was only published many years after the original work for fear of divulging secrets) stipulate that before one can embark on such a goal, they first must reach a state of hishtaavus – equanimity, being equal and impartial to anything meted out to him, the Chovas Halevuvos speaks of being urinated on RL, and not be fazed at all, everything being equal to him, be it being blessed or cursed. This is achieved with complete faith in HY, that everything is from Him, in exactitude. From this level one can proceed to practice the aforementioned hisbodidus [-today the term hisbodidus is used much looser to include any devotion of seclusion with HY].

[8] Many years ago when I was first grappling with the explanation of the Ramchal, I formulated a crude parable, we hear about famous professors of physics, who despite being geniuses and so forth, are unable to fix their own car engine. Whereas we hear of kids who have dropped out of school and are extremely proficient in putting together or fixing a car engine, and in no time at all they have it revving and roaring. So maybe in some sense that is what the Ramchal is saying about Rabbi Shimon’s prominence, that he knew how to put everything together so that it was all very much alive and working – a huge profound difference. This is in fact the secret of all the Kaballa, to know how it all comes together in the Image of Man – In the Image of G-d. Unlike the parable, with Rabbi Shimon’s attainment he would automatically merit to everything else.

Na Nach Nachma Nachman MayUman



Tuesday, June 13, 2023

הצלחה בהתבודדות

 ב"ה

הצלחה בהתבודדות על ידי שצף קצף דיבורי כיסופים

בסיפור ההתקרבות סבא סיפר איך שמצא ספר השתפכות הנפש והתחיל לעשות התבודדות וז"ל וראיתי פעם הראשון בחיי שהכח של הספר הזה – איזה כח של התבודדות, זה הורג כל המשחיתים, כל המזיקים, כל מיני מחלות רעות, כל מיני מעשים, כל מיני תאוות, ע"כ.

כאשר אני התחלתי לעשות התבודדות, לא ראיתי שום ישועות בזה ואדרבה אפילו בשעת ההתבודדות כמעט נהפך עלי לרעה, וכמו שהרחבתי כאן על הסכנות המעורבות בזה. אכן כאשר התחלתי להשתדל כמה דקות כל יום של כיסופין של קדושה (כמבואר בליקוטי מוהר"ן תורה לא, שעל ידי כיסופין דקדושה בכח ובפועל נתהוו נפשות שיוצאות ומתגלגלים בעולם ומחזירים העולם בתשובה, ומסורה בברסלב שזה אחד מהדרכים החזקים להביא את הגאולה) באמת ראיתי ישועות. ועיקר ההבדל הוא שטף קצף של דיבורים [ע' בשיחות הר"ן קכט מובא בהקדמה להשתפכות הנפש – אפילו כשנופלין לפעמים לתוך רפש וטיט שקשה לו מאד לצאת משם, צועקין וצועקין וצעוקין, ואמר בזה הלשון וכו' והגביה ידיו קצת ולא אמר יותר, ע"כ. צועקים וצועקים וצועקים! ובספר שבחי הר"ן י' – גם היה רגיל לפעמים לומר בתהלים רק הפסוקים המדברים מתחנות ובקשות וצעקה להשם יתברך, והיה אומר רק פסוקים אלו והשאר לא היה אומר. והיה אומר כל הפסוקים האלו מכל ספר תהלים בפעם אחד, ע"כ. ובספר אבניה ברזל, סיפורים מרבינו אות ט, איך שתלמיד מהמגיד הוכיח את רבינו על מה שנדמה שהוא מבטל זמנו וכו', ואחר כך נסע דרך היער ושמע קול צעקה, ויאמר להבעל עגלה שיטה אזנו, והטו אזניהם ושמעו שהוא קול אדם, והטה הוא אזנו יותר ושמע שזה קול תפלה. וירד האיש מן העגלה והלך אחר הקול, ובא עד מקום רבנו זצוק"ל ומצאו מעטף בטלית ותפלין וצועק בקולי קולות עד לב השמים, וסביבו היה כמו נהר מן הדמעות והבכיות, והתפלל הללויות בפסוקי דזמרה, ונתבהל מאד, ע"כ. ועד סוף ימיו מצאו את רבינו שוכב על הארץ בפישוט ידים ורגלים בוכה להשם יתברך. ויש כמה סיפורים מסבא גם שסיפר על עצמו איך היה צועק בקולי קולות עד לב השמים. ופעם ביום כיפור אצל רשב"י היה צועק בכל כוחו שעות על שעות, קולות משונות מרוב התאמצות, עד שהתעלף וקיבל דלקת ריאות ר"ל, וסבל מזה כל ימי חייו. ושלמה קרלבך היה מספר כמדומני מר' אשר מסטולין ששאל את אביו ר' אהרן מקרלין, אם אדם מתפלל וצועק ומתחנן כאילו חרב חדה מונחת על צוארו, האם זה מספיק, וענה לו בודאי – להתחלה, אבל בהמשך צריך הרבה יותר), והבנתי שעד אז כל ההתבודדות היתה יותר מדי עצלות וחכמות. כי רבינו חיזק אותנו שלפעמים האדם אינו יכול לפתוח פיו – ולכן כבר היה לי רשות לא לדבר כל כך. ורבינו גילה שהדיבורים הם נשלחים מהשם יתברך והם בחינת רוח הקודש, אז כבר רציתי חכמות. ורק כאשר באתי לקיים הענין להוציא בפה הכיסופין שבכח, והייתי צריך לדבר הרבה בלי הפסקה, שכל מילה הולך בעולם להחזיר בתשובה וכו', רק אז התחלתי לטעום המכוון. [ודברי רבינו הנ"ל בודאי נצרכים מאד בפני עצמן, עד שהאדם יזכה וידע להתגבר בדיבורים, וכן שייכים לאיש שבאמת מרגיש עצמו עומד לפני השם יתברך, וכל כולו תפוס בהשם יתברך, מה שעוד לא זכיתי כל כך, והעצלות מתגבר ונשארים בלי כלום].

ושים על לבך שאנחנו מאמינים שהשם יתברך ממלא כל עלמין וסובב כל עלמין, והוא יתברך תכלית הטוב. ואיך לא נצעק עד שנדעהו. משל למה הדבר דומה, חבר מתקשר אליך ואומר שהוא רואה אותך דרך איזה מצלמה, והוא רואה שממש לידך יש אבנים טובות יקרות מאד, ואתה בטוח שהוא לא משחק איתך, הלוא תשתגע עד שתמצא אותם [ועיין חיי מוהר"ן רצה – והלא אני אוצר של יראת שמים ומדוע לא יהיו להוטים ורצים אחרי לקבלו. ושאלו אותו איך אפשר לקבל והשיב עם הפה והלב צריכין לחתר ולבקש].

לצייר שם הוי"ה לפניך, וכן שאר השמות כפי היכולת. ויש לשלב את שמך הפרטי כחלק מהשכינה ושם אדנ"י.

בליקוטי מוהר"ן תורה כב מבואר ז"ל תכף שמתעורר קול דקדשה הם מתעוררים תכף ומתחילין לצעק ולקטרג נגדו וזהו קול ההברה שיוצא מקול הקדשה וכו' עיין שם. ולכן אחר שצועקים להשם יתברך, כדאי לסיים עם בקשה להנצל מקול ההברה.

וכדי להוציא שטף קצף של כיסופים, הנה כמה ביטוים שיש לחזור עליהם כמה שיותר:

Say repeatedly with conviction, scream as much as possible even if only in the mind (as Rabbainu explained elsewhere) work yourself into a frenzy (see Sichos Huran 74).

אבא רחמנא, רבונו של עולם. אבי שבשמים, מלך מלכי המלכים, אבי ומלכי, ממלא כל עלמין וסובב כל עלמין באהבתך ברחמיך ובחסדיך הרבים והעצומים האדירים הנצחים, בורא הכל יש מאין כל רגע, לית אתר פנוי מיניה ומאהבתך ומרחמיך וחסדיך הרבים והעצומים הנצחים.

מל את לבבי לאהבה וליראה את שמך, יחד לבבי לאהבה וליראה את שמך. Breakthrough to me…

תן אתה, תן לי אתה לאהבה וליראה את שמך, ולדעת את שמך, ולדבקה בך, ולהתבטל אליך, בכל לבבי ובכל נפשי ומאודי, עד אין סוף ותכלית. לעד ולנצח נצחים.

חנני. חוס עלי, רחם עלי, חמול עלי, הצל אותי, והושיע. פדני, גואלני, קדשני, טהרני, קרבני, למדני כי אתה אלהי ישעי אותך קויתי כל היום. מתי תבואה אלי.

ראה בעניי... הצל לקוחים למות (רוחני).

אנא בריה קלה שבים, מלמעלה מכל העולמות, המה היוצרים ישבי נטעים עם המלך במלאכתו, בתחילת המחשבה, ממני נמלך ונתיעץ בבריאת עולמו, והשתא אזלינא לפמא דלויתן... איה מקום כבודו. איה קדשתי.

רחם על נפשי רוחי ונשמתי, על גופי ואברי ובשרי ועצמי. בטרם אלך ואינני.quickly, before it’s too late, before it’s all over.

נפשי בכפי.

הנשמה לך והגוף פעלך חוסה על עמלך (סליחות).

אנא כנה, עורי נא, התעוררי נא, עמדי נא, התיצבי נא, קומי נא, חלי נא, בעד הנפש חני נא, פני דר עליון (יוצר ליום הכיפורים, ועיין ליקוטי תפילות ס).

אל תעזבני, ואל תטשני, ואל תשכחני, ואל תזנחני, אל תסתר פניך ממני, אל תתעלם ממני, אל תדיחני, אל תרחיקני, אל תרחק ממני -

Not for a second, not for an instant, not for a bechina, not for anything

אתה ה' לא תכלא רחמיך ממני (חסדך ואמתך תמיד יצרוני – תהלים מ:יב) – don’t shut me off from You

חושה לעזרתי. מהר להצילני. ענני. אל תעמוד מנגד.

אל תבישני משברי (תהלים קיט:קטז)

I need You (when saying multiple times, best to drop the I), I need You so much, I want You so much.

I’m screaming to/for You, I’m begging You, crying, pleading, I’m imploring. Desperate. Craving, longing, yearning. Thirsting, hungry, starving for You. Now, quickly, hurry.

Have mercy and pity and compassion on me.  Won’t You have mercy… [You have to have mercy…].

I need to feel You loving me, to feel Your love…

To love You…. With all my heart, with all my soul, with all my being, with everything I got. To fear You. To surrender to You completely, to give myself over to You completely, to be completely Yours. To fill my whole consciousness with You. To be with You more and more, closer and closer, deeper and deeper, mamash in Your presence – נוכח פני השם. In awe, fear, trepidation, shame and embarrassment, of all my failings, shortcomings and inadequacy - קטנות, and utter ignorance of Torah, and bitul Torah on top of everything, and love, burning love and desire for You.

To fill all my limbs and veins and arteries and bones and flesh and all my senses with awareness of You, with love for You, with fear and trepidation of You, with awe from You, with התפארות בך, with התבטלות אליך.

Duch and duch – through and through.

To be consumed with love for You, infatuated, engulfed.

To bask in Your love.

על מה שוא בראתני (ע"פ תהלים פט:מח) –  if not - To know You intimately, passionately. Desire You.

To You, with You, for You, from You, by You. Engulfed, immersed, surrounded, engrossed in You, possessed by You. Wrapped up.

I need to feel You beating in my heart, pulsing and coursing through my veins and arteries, I need to feel You in my lungs on my tongue on my lips on my breath, I need to taste You, and hear You, smell You, and feel You, more and more…

I don’t want to be without You anymore. Don’t leave me to stagnate like this bereft, cut off, from You. I’m helpless without You. You are everything. Life itself.

Don’t forsake, abandon, desert, ignore, reject me. Don’t turn me away, don’t turn away from me. Pick me up. פנה אלי וחנני...

Please… Rescue, help, save, redeem, fix, me.

Cleanse me from all the disgusting things I thought and did, from all my sins שחטאתי שעויתי ושפשעתי לפניך,

return me בתשובה שלמה לפניך

heal me, fix me to be נאמן לפניך, קדשני טהרני.....

I’m still here, waiting for You, hoping for You – לך ה' קויתי, חיכיתי, איחל, אצפה.... 

נ נח נחמ נחמן מאומן



Monday, May 25, 2020

Hisbodidus Versus Meditation


Hisbodidus Versus Meditation

Hisbodidus literally means to be alone in seclusion. The definition for meditation is: Continuous and profound contemplation or musing on a subject or series of subjects of a deep or abstruse or spiritual nature. The parameters of each of these disciplines can be broadened so that they overlap. Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan obm, a great genius and prolific author and translator whose main mentor was a Breslover Chusid, wrote that probably his biggest chiddush (novel idea and insight) was to translate the common word “kavana” which people always use to mean focus of concentration and meaningful intention, as meditation. In this vein he went on to explain that hisbodidus can also be referring to meditation.

RAK obm went so far as to suggest that what Rabbainu revealed and instructed that when doing hisbodidus and one has no words, he should repeat over and over again whatever words he does have, giving an example: “Reeboanoa (Master) Shel (of) Oalum (the World),[1][2]” if one has nothing to say during hisbodidus, he can even just repeat this over and over again[3][4], RAK wrote that this could be alluding to the methodology of the mantra.

Students of the Mussar movement were known to repeat holy dictums of our Holy Sages over and over again even for hours on end (-one dictum I remember cited specifically is that of Rabbi Yaakov, prepare yourself in the “prozdor” (anti-chamber – this world) in order to enter the “traklin” (palace – future world), and with regard to them I would definitely feel comfortable calling this a form of meditation. The Talmud itself speaks often of Sages repeatedly reviewing specific teachings 40 times or even 400 times, and actually discusses (Shabbos 66b) “minyunay” - countings – incantations that are to be said numerous times. The Talmud says that if such an incantation does not have a given amount of times it is to be said, then it should be said forty one times.

The Ramchal already describes this method in his awesome work Adir Bamurom (Spinner’s edition, pages 39 and 50), and in his essay Derech Eitz Hachaim. In The Words of Rabbi Nachman, article 58, Rabbi Nachman revealed that, “When pondering the Torah one needs to think over the matter of the Torah in which he wants to gain novel insight, to ponder over and over again in his thoughts the verse or the specific matter very many, many numerous times, and to knock and rap on the door until they open for him.” This is certainly a form of meditation.

Rabbi Chaim Vital also documented different forms of holy mantras and meditations in the fourth section of Shaaray Kedusha (The Gates of Holiness). These are just some of the places where mantras and meditations are discussed explicitly. Furthermore, the holy book Shaar Ruach Hakoadesh (The Gate of Divine Inspiration) is dedicated to “yichudim” – unifications, that is systems of Divine and supernal names to contemplate and unite in thought, these would be considered meditations. The Arizal revealed to Rabbi Chaim Vital that doing yichudim was more important and holy than learning Torah. Thus all the great kabbalists and Chasidic masters, and even some of the other rabbis, were very busy doing yichudim. Rabbi Nachman said (The Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman, article 148) that even the great tzadikim who conducted their entire lives, their every act and behavior according with yichudim, he can show them that they know nothing of the way of yichudim, and show them the way. Rabbi Nussun points out (Words of Rabbi Nachman, article 185), that Rabbi Nachman gave people personal rectifications, specific to the root of their soul, and all these instructions were not in the way of the secrets of the yichudim, just practical devotions. Here again we see that even though the terms of meditation were very familiar and fluent to Rabbi Nussun, he specifically does not use them, and on the contrary, he makes it clear that Rabbi Nachman’s main instructions to the people were not of this type.

Also in regard to the Kavanos of the Arizal for the prayers, even for most of those that Rabbi Nachman himself told to study them, he instructed them not to actually do them, only those who had reached the level of understanding that these kavanoas were second nature to them as they were actually living them in reality, and these kavanos were for them the simple meaning, only for such people Rabbi Nachman allowed to actually practice doing them (Words of Rabbi Nachman, article 75).[5] Further on, you will see that even Rabbi Nachman himself chose to engage in pure heartfelt prayer.

Further, Rabbi Nachman wrote explicitly about ascending into the “World of Thought”, in Likutay Moharan, Torah-teaching 234, he writes that, “This is called the ascent of the worlds, because thought is extremely high, and whoever desires to enter the World of Thought must be silent, and even if he speaks then a proper word, he will lose the thought, because the thought is an extremely high matter, that even a proper utterance will ruin (it), and this is the aspect of (Minuchos 29), ‘Silence! Thus has risen in the thought!,” for to ascend to the thought it is necessary to be silent, and even if one will be silent and not speak at all, even still there are many confusions which confuse the thought and prevent it, and what is needed for this is purity of thought, and this is through recounting stories of tzadikim, see there.”

Thus, we find places where Rabbi Nachman spoke directly about methodology of meditation and attaining a meditative mind set. This does not seem to be the case with regard to his instructions on prayer and hisbodidus.

In The Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman (article 239), “One time a youngster asked Rabbi Nachman how to do hisbodidus, and Rabbi Nachman taught him how to say before Hashem Yisburach, ‘Master of the World have mercy on me etc. because is it possible that I should pass my days with such vanity, can it be that for this I was created?!’ Afterwards, at some point of time, this person stood behind the wall of Rabbainu o.b.m., and he hear Rabbainu himself pouring out his heart before Hashem Yisburach with words like these.”

In The Life of our Leader Rabbi Nachman (Chayay Moharan 441) it is taught: Once Rabbainu obm spoke of the necessity to engage copiously in reciting Psalms, and entreaties, and supplications, and hisbodidus etc. So the Rav, Rabbi Yudel obm asked him, “How does one get heart? (i.e. how does one merit that this verbiage will be with arousal of the heart).” Rabbainu obm answered him, “Tell me, by which tzadik have you received arousal of the heart, the main thing is the saying with the mouth.” I.e. to abound in words of entreaties and supplications with the mouth, and the arousal of the heart will come of itself (see The Words of Rabbi Nachman, article 75).” This shows very clearly that Rabbainu did not intend for one’s main hisbodidus to be an exercise of meditation, rather a session of ardent and profuse verbal expression of prayer in which all ascensions would come of their own accord, not through directly grasping them or their invocation. Also, in the The Words of Rabbi Nachman (article 75) Rabbainu made it very clear that the main kavana – intention and focus – of the prayer should be just to understand the simple straightforward meaning of the words and to hear them well, and definitely not to engage in Kabalistic schemes and intentions. Also, in all these places and many more (see e.g. The Words of Rabbi Nachman article 74), the main direction seems to be a striving for more passionate prayer, and not necessarily to be trying to achieve higher consciousness. Rabbainu did instruct (Words of Rabbi Nachman 232) once “To have two hours of hisbodidus a day, one hour as a preparatory session, to go and yearn and prepare himself to speak, and to arrange his heart for such, and then to speak for one hour.” This preparatory hour can be taken to be even a meditation, however the purpose and the activity of the main hour of hisbodidus is simply: to speak.

Furthermore, even though the world of thought is higher than the world of speech, Rabbainu said that ultimately speech is more powerful. Similarly Rabbainu said his main thing was emuna – faith, which even though it is the lowest Sefirah, whereas the Sefiros of thought (ChaBaD – Chuchmuh – wisdom, Beena – understanding, and Daas – realization of knowledge) are on the top, through faith one merits and attains the absolute highest attribute of Kessehr – Crown, which is “ratzon” – will and desire even to an infinite extent.

So in conclusion, it seems clear that the primary hisbodidus of Rabbi Nachman was not meant to be an exercise of meditation, just time spent alone in seclusion conversing with G-d Almighty. Meditation is important and should even be used to prepare for hisbodidus, and when meditating it is necessary to be completely silent.  However, hisbodidus is definitely included in the broader sense of the word meditation, as it is definitively a state of mind. Rabbainu revealed some of the physical criteria which facilitate successful hisbodidus, such as going out somewhere no one goes, and at a time when everyone is asleep, but ultimately one can do hisbodidus even when surrounded by a tumultuous crowd, as Rabbainu said of himself (Chayay Moharan – The Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman, article 241): “When do I have hisbodidus?” and he said, that at the time when everyone is standing around him and he sits in their midst, then he has hisbodidus.”[6]

Na Nach Nachma Nachman MayUman



[1] In Chayay Moharan – The Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman, article 440, Rabbainu said that even if one has nothing to say just “Master of the World,” this is also very good.
[2] In the Letters of Rabbi Nachman of Tulchin, published in Ullim Litrufah, he writes, “And even if one can’t speak but a few words, “Master of the World, have mercy on me.” The added words, “have mercy on me,” make it clearer that this is intended more as a prayer than as a meditation.
[3] Likutay Moharan II, Torah-teaching 96, brought in Outpouring of the Soul (article 4). There Rabbainu says one should speak this thing that he does have many, many times without limit or measure, and even to spend many, many days just with these words alone, this is also good.
[4] Rabbi Nussun was once confronted and challenged by the praises of a certain scholar who was profuse in 500 pages of the Talmud by heart, Rabbi Nussun retorted that his Moshelle (-R’ Moshe Breslover, the mentor of Rabbi Yisroel Karduner) can say Master of the World 500 times (Yisroel Saba, chapter of One Silence. To See The Blossoms of the Spring, chapter of Prayer).
[5] There are of course exceptions to this general rule. The main one being for the Tikun Klalli – the ten Psalms Rabbi Nachman revealed as a general comprehensive rectification, for this Rabbi Nachman himself revealed Divine Names that should be kept in mind when saying them.
From here we can establish that obviously Rabbi Nachman was not ruling out the holy practice of doing yichudim, rather he was making it clear that the quintessential devotion must be with simplicity and wholesomeness – each person according to their level, and the main thing is real dialogue and expression, and not to overreach and lose that personal perspective.
[6] This is like the classic Book of Charedim writes (page 48, also included in the daily learning of the Chok LiYisroel, for the Monday of the Torah Portion of Meekaitz): It is written (Genesis 6), “With the Lord walked Noach,” i.e. he would do hisbodidus with his Creator, and he didn’t have companionship with people, or, due to his habituation to hisbodidus, even when he was in the midst of people they didn’t unsettle his mind, because they were as not in his eyes, and this is what the poet (Rabbi Avrohom Ibn Ezra, “Agadelchuh”) said, “When I stand in the midst of Your congregation Rock/Creator to exalt, to You I prostrate and bow (my) head and stature,” that is to say, that their company doesn’t encumber me to detach my thought from You, because the whole world is a flock of sheep, and He Blessed He is the solitary shepherd and overseer over every single particular etc..



Monday, October 28, 2019

Likutay Aitzoas - A Collection of Remedies/Advice - Hisbodidus



1

Hisbodidus is a gateway to the Secrets of the Torah


One who wants to taste a taste of the ohr haganuz [cached light], that is, the secrets of the Torah that will be revealed in the future, he should abound in hisbodidus between himself and his Creator, and judge and adjudicate himself all the time, regarding all his affairs and conduct, if this is proper and befitting for him to do, and to conduct like this against Hashem Yisburach, Who deals out to him goodness all the time and at every instance. And he should “manage his affairs {/dispense his words} judicially (Psalms 112:5),” and bring himself to account for everything. He himself should judge and adjudicate himself over all his affairs and deeds, and by this, he will remove from himself all fright, and he will be saved from the fallen fears, meaning that he'll not be afraid or frightened from any officer or lord, or dangerous beast, or bandits - nor from anything in the world, only from Hashem Yisburach alone he will fear and be frightened. And by this he will raise the fear to its root, which is da'as (realization of knowledge) – that he will merit complete da'as (realization of knowledge), that he will know from whom to fear, namely to fear the Glorious Name alone, [with a] fear of [His] loftiness (“yiras haroamimus”). And through this, he will merit an attainment [of perception] of the revealed Torah, and through this he will merit to true humility, and through this he will merit to prayer with meseeras nefesh (giving over of the soul, self-sacrifice) to abnegate all his physicality and ego at the time of prayer, and he will pray without any intention of self-benefit, and he will not think of himself as anything – just, he will annul all his physicality and his essence (/ego), as if he isn't in the world. And through this, he will come to the attainment [of perception] of the Hidden Torah, which is the ohr haganuz (cached light) which will be revealed in the future. And all this is attained through hisbodidus, as mentioned previously.
(Likutay Moharan, Torah 15:1-4; Outpouring of the Soul, article 52)


2

Personal words to G-d are Divinely inspired


The words that a person converses and speaks between himself and his Maker are the aspect of ruach hakodesh (Divine inspiration), for through undertaking this, and forcing himself, and preparing himself to speak before Hashem Yisburach, Hashem Yisburach sends him words in his mouth which are the aspect of ruach hakodesh (Divine inspiration). And it is necessary to see to it, and to endeavor to innovate always, to beseech at all times with new words of appeasement and entreaties, and one merits this through purity of the heart, which one merits through the holy motion of the intellect (as is explained in the entry of Daas, article 3).

Added from Outpouring of the Soul, article 64
And this is (Psalms 51:12), “A pure heart create for me, G-d,” then (continuation of the verse), “and a resolute (/correct/established) spirit create (/renew) inside of me,” that he should merit every time to come up with new original words which are the aspect of ruach hakodesh as mentioned above.
                                                     (Likutay Moharan, Torah 21 and 156. Outpouring of the Soul 64)

3

Yearning creates potential souls, verbalizing the yearning actualizes them


Through the conversation that one converses and speaks between himself and his Maker, and he verbalizes his yearnings and good desires, that which he yearns, and quests, and longs to get out of his baseness and merit to the true good, and he prays and pleads before Hashem Yisburach for this, through this he produces the good souls from their state of potentiality (bikoaach) to actuality (bifoaal). For through the longing alone, potential souls are made [because the yearning is the soul, in the aspect of (Psalms 84:3), “my soul yearns and pines (-even to the extent of expiration),” (added from Outpouring of the Soul)] and through the speaking mentioned above, they are completed and produced from potential (bikoach) to actuality (bifoal) [in the aspect of (Genesis 2:7), “and the man became a living soul,” and the Targum (aramaic translation of Unkellus) is, “a speaking spirit,” and as it is written (Song of Songs 5:6), “my soul departed with his speaking.” (added from Outpouring of the Soul)]. And through this one merits to effectuate his request, and he merits to configure the letters of the Torah for the good, and sustain and give to everything, and to draw goodness and blessing in all the worlds [and good implementations are carried out in the world (added from Outpouring of the Soul)], and many souls are aroused to repentance through this speech, that one speaks between himself and his Maker.

For this matter of yearning and good desires, and to fully verbalize them, is extremely precious, and everyone needs to accustom himself to engage in this plentifully every day, and through this it is possible to return the whole world to the better.
(Likutay Moharan 31, Outpouring of the Soul 56 – at much greater length)


4

Connect the heart to its point to save it from the shame of fallen desires


In every Israelite there is an extremely precious good point, whose desire is always strong, to do the desire of its Maker, but the (worldly) desires break his heart, and through this his heart is distant from the point. Therefore it is necessary for every person to speak between himself and his Maker, in order to light up the aspect of the point which is in his heart, and through this his uncircumcised heart will be nullified, that is, the bad loves (-affections) which are the heart's disgrace, which break a person's heart [in the aspect of (Psalms 69:21), “disgrace broke my heart” (added from Outpouring of the Soul)]. [See the entry of Tzadik, article 42].
                     (Likutay Moharan 34:7-8; Outpouring of the Soul 57).


5

Speaking to G-d will bring one to be embarrassed before Him with such holy connection that his face will shine


A person needs to accustom himself to speak between himself and his Maker, frankly with great and utter truth, until his heart is truly aroused, until he begins to speak with a passionate heart words of truth that are in his heart with great arousal, with repentance, until he sees his negligibility and the greatness of the Creator, until he is very embarrassed before Him blessed He. For until now he threw his sins behind his shoulders (-turned his back on them) and did not pay attention to them, and now that he acknowledges them, in this way he is inoculated with great embarrassment over the severity of his sins against a master and ruler, the essence and root of all the worlds, and this embarrassment is revealed on his face, and this shame is the aspect of the light of the tefillin, which are the sign of attachment (divaikus) Israel has with the Creator blessed He, and it is the aspect of (the) beam of light of the face, and through this shame all his sins are forgiven.
(Likutay Moharan, Torah 38; Likutay Aitzos, Embarrassment and Brazenness 2, Speech 7; Outpouring of the Soul 58).


6

Abnegation to be included in one’s root

It is necessary for every one to see to it that he is included in his root. And in order to be included in his root, it is necessary for him to have abnegation (“bitool”). And it is impossible to come to abnegation except through hisbodidus, because through seclusion of himself with his Creator, through this he can abnegate everything, and bind (“divaikus”) with Hashem Yisburach, and be included in his root.
(Likutay Moharan 52; Outpouring of the Soul 59)


7

At night, go alone to somewhere people never go, and completely nullify yourself to G-d.


The primary hisbodidus is at night, for then everyone is sleeping, and also that the place should be outside the city, that he should go on a solitary way, that is, in a place where people do not go there even in the day. And through this that one does hisbodidus at night on a solitary way as mentioned above, and clears his heart and mind from all engagements of this world, and abnegates everything, until he nullifies himself completely; meaning, that first he prays copiously until he abnegates this vice, and afterwards [he continues to pray copiously until (Outpouring of the Soul)] he abnegates a different vice, and afterwards [he continues to pray copiously until (Outpouring of the Soul)] he utterly nullifies himself, that he should not retain any haughtiness or any entity, until he is in his (own) eyes as literally nothing and void, and through this he merits to come to the aspect of true nullification, and through this his soul is included in its root [in His infinite (Ain Soaf) unity blessed He, which is called the michoo'yuv hamitzee'oos (imperative <of> existence), as is known (Outpouring of the Soul)]. And through this the entire world is included with him in its root, that is, it is all included with him in His Unity blessed He.
(Likutay Moharan 52; Outpouring of the Soul 59 – at much greater length).



8

Hisbodidus at night, crying to G-d and building ones good points from out of the bad, bring joy, and holds lust at bay, and cultivates a consciousness of the future world


At night, then it is the main time for hisbodidus, that is to seclude oneself with his Creator, to express one's words before Hashem Yisburach, to converse with one’s heart[1] to seek out the good spirit, that is, the good points that he still retains, to cull them from within the bad spirit, until he pours out his heart like water directly before the countenance of Hashem (Lamentations 2:19), and through this he will merit to joy and to quell the imagination, from which all the desires ensue. And through this he will merit memory, to always remember the World to Come, and to think at all times of his purpose and ultimate end, of the World to Come, until he merits to truthfully return to Him blessed He.
(Likutay Moharan, Torah 54; Outpouring of the Soul 60).


9

Sighing – to regain one's standing


When a person prays with divaikus (binding, clinging to Gd) or does hisbodidus properly, and in the middle he falls from his level, this stems from defection of (the) faith, and so it is necessary then to break his heart inside, and to be ashamed of himself for falling from heaven to earth, and he should pity himself until he sighs, and through the sigh he will return to his level.
(Likutay Moharan, torah 108; Outpouring of the Soul 63).


10

G-d helps and provides words for one to prevail and be victorious despite all


When one speaks before the Holy One Blessed He and expresses his words with argumentations and supplications, and desires to best the Holy One Blessed He, so to speak, that He should do his bidding, the Holy One Blessed He derives exquisite pleasure and joy from this, that they are defeating Him. Therefore He Blessed He, Himself sends him words in his mouth, so that he can defeat Him, because otherwise it would certainly be impossible for (man of) flesh and blood to defeat the Holy One Blessed he, just, Hashem Yisburach Himself helps him with this, as mentioned above.
(Likutay Moharan 124; Outpouring of the Soul 24)


11

Candidly unburdening oneself to G-d evokes Divine consolation

When a person does hisbodidus and expresses his words and his pain before Hashem Yisburach, and confesses and regrets the severity of the defects he impaired, then the Shechina (Divine Presence) directly across him expresses before him Her words and pain, for every single infraction and  infringement that he violated in his neshama (soul), he inflicted by Her, so to speak, and She consoles him, that he should seek contrivances to rectify all the damages.
(Likutay Moharan, torah 259; Outpouring of the Soul 66).


12

Do hisbodidus in the fields

It is very good to pray and to express one’s words (-sentiments) before Hashem Yisburach in a field in the grasses and the trees. Because when a person prays and expresses his words in a field, then all the grasses and all the vegetation of the field, all of them come into his prayer and help him and give him power in his prayer and conversing.
(Likutay Moharan II, Torah 11; Outpouring of the Soul 27-8)


13

Highest virtue, Speak in your vernacular, and Set a designated hour daily

It has already been explained, that hisbodidus is a great virtue, and a very correct and upright way to draw close through it to Hashem Yisburach. And it is necessary for everyone to set for this some hours of the day, to express one’s words (-sentiments) before Hashem Yisburach in the spoken language,[2] like in these provinces, in Yiddish ("lushon Ashkenaz", today this can very readily refer to English vernacular), in which we speak. Because in the native tongue it is much easier to express well all one’s words, and all that is with (-upon) his heart he should converse before Hashem Yisburach with argumentations and exculpations, and words of appeasement and entreaty, that he should merit to draw close to Him Blessed He, everyone according to what he knows the maladies of his heart, and how distant he is from Hashem Yisburach.
And the actual virtuous ascendances of this practice cannot be explained nor fathomed, because this practice exceeds everything, and it includes all the service of Hashem. Because through this one can come to all the goodness in this world and the next. Because everything can be accomplished through prayer and entreaty. And all the great tzadikim did not come to their levels except through this practice, and one who applies himself to understand the matter, will understand on his own the great ascendances of this practice. Fortunate is the one who merits to set for himself for this a designated hour every single day, and the rest of the day he should be joyous.
(Likutay Moharan II, Torah 25; Outpouring of the Soul, article 2)


14

Pray to attain what you learned

It is also good to make from the Torah-teachings – prayers, and see inside (the source), and understand.
(Likutay Moharan II, Torah 25; Outpouring of the Soul, article 2)


15

Trying to cry is also a distraction

Even though crying before Hashem Yisburach with entreaties and beseeching is extremely good, even still, when a person says Psalms or other entreaties and supplications, or converses personally with his Creator, and he thinks and anticipates, and looks mindfully all the time that he should cry and shed tears, this also is a (distracting) foreign thought, and confuses the kavana (-concentration, intention). Because the main thing is – that he should concentrate his mind to say the words truly with all his heart, that he should incline his ear and his heart to hear what he is expressing with his mouth, and if he is aroused to cry, how wonderful – and if not, he should not confuse his concentrations for this.
(Likutay Moharan II, Torah 95; Outpouring of the Soul 3)


16

Hisbodidus is the only way to succeed

Daily Persistence even just for the preparation or one utterance
All the tzadikim and the G-d fearing, didn’t come to their level except through hisbodidus and conversation between oneself and his Creator, as is explained earlier. And specifically in these generations, at the end of the exile, when the yetzer hura (-evil inclination) and the other side (-evil realm) have very extremely intensified, and the generation is very weak, body and soul, it is impossible to be saved now from the onslaught and from the abundant impediments and to draw close to Hashem Yisburach, except through conversing between oneself and his Creator, that one should accustom himself to set a designated hour every day to express his words before Hashem Yisburach in his native tongue specifically. And everything that is with (-on) his heart he should converse before Hashem Yisburach, be it to ask for pardon and forgiveness on the past, be it to entreat for the future that Hashem Yisburach should save him from what he needs to be saved from, and he should merit to draw close to Him blessed He.
And even if he is unable to speak and to express his words, even still, even if he won’t speak just one word, this is also very good. And even if he says just, “Master of the World,” this is also very good.
And even the preparation itself, what he prepares himself and desires to speak, even though he is unable to speak, even still the preparation and the desire itself is very precious in the eyes of Hashem Yisburach.
And if he will be strong at this, to force himself every time to speak before Hashem Yisburach what is with (-on) his heart), certainly in the course of time Hashem Yisburach will help him so that he will be able to express his words well, and he can merit to speak new (-novel) precious words that they will bestow him with from the heavens, and he will merit to come to all the goodness, truth, and eternal, through this practice, which includes all the aitzoas (-advice, remedies) for serving Hashem Yisburach. Because all the aitzoas need copious prayer and entreaty, fortunate is the person who strengthens himself in this. Because from (one) small (in stature) to (one) big (in stature), it is impossible to be a kosher person except through hisbodidus and conversing between oneself and his Creator.
(Likutay Moharan II, 25, 96, 100, Outpouring of the Soul, Introduction, article 2, 4, 8, 47)


17

Find yourself in the Psalms and prayers

Also when one says Psalms, or “Chatzoas” (the midnight rectification), or other entreaties and supplications, he needs to find himself in them (-to see how they pertain to him personally). And see inside (the source) wondrous discourses in these matters.
(Likutay Moharan II, Torah 101, Outpouring of the Soul 9)


18

Speak even without heart, always start new

Even though it seems to the person that he is speaking without heart, even still this is very good. And when he speaks so, abundant words, through this he will usually merit that his heart will be aroused to  speak with an impassioned heart befittingly, because speech has a great power to arouse a person. And even if many days and years pass, and it appears to him that he still has not accomplished anything with his words and conversing, even still he shouldn’t fall from this at all, because certainly the words make an impression. An allegory for this: Like water coming down on a stone, even though it would seem that the water doesn't have power against the hard stone, and the water has no apparent impression in the stone, even still, when the water comes down on the stone many, many times consecutively, they bore a whole in the stone, as can be seen outright. Similarly, even if one's heart is a heart of stone, and shows no sign of his words and his prayers, even still with the accumulation of days and years his heart of stone will be pierced through his conversing and his words, like (Job 14:19), “stones withered by water,” as mentioned above.
(Words of Rabbi Nachman, article 234, Outpouring of the Soul 37)

And it is good for a person to say during hisbodidus, “Today I begin to bind (divaikus) to You.” And every time he should initiate a beginning, because all continuations follow after the beginnings. Like they say: the beginning is paramount to half of the phenomenon of the entire process. Consequently, either way he should make a new start every time, and he should say as mentioned above, for either way (mima nafshuch); if it was good before – now it will be better, and if Heaven forbid beforehand it was not good – certainly it is necessary and incumbent to launch a new beginning, as mentioned above.
(The Life of Rabbi Nachman, article 437; Outpouring of the Soul 45).


19

Speak to Hashem until your soul is about to depart

It is necessary to converse and speak between oneself and his Creator, and to truly arouse ones heart so much, to the extent that his soul will just about depart, Heaven forbid, and this is the main completeness (/perfection) of hisbodidus.
(Likutay Moharan II, Torah 99; Outpouring of the Soul 7)


20

Speak to Hashem like you speak to a friend

When Hashem Yisburach helps with (one’s) hisbodidus, he can express his words before Hashem Yisburach like a person speaks to his friend. And it is necessary to accustom oneself to this, that he should speak to Hashem Yisburach like he speaks with his teacher or his friend, because Hashem Yisburach exists everywhere, because (Isaiah 6:3), “the entire world is filled with His glory.”
(Likutay Moharan II, Torah 99; Outpouring of the Soul 7)


21

Speak to G-d like an enamored toddler pesters his father

It is very good for someone who is able, to pour out his words before Hashem Yisburach piteously and pleadingly, like a son who pesters (before) his father [which is called “piyestin”- (playing, cooing)]. And how good it is when one can arouse his heart with entreaties until he cries and sheds tears like a son before his father.
(Sichos Huran – The Words of Rabbi Nachman 7; Outpouring of the Soul 17)



22

Scream silently


It is possible to scream to Hashem Yisburach in a silent whisper, screaming tremendously, and no one will hear anything, because one does not release any sound outside, he just visualizes distinctively the scream in thought etc. [see inside (the source) the matter].
(Words of Rabbi Nachman, article 16; Outpouring of the Soul 40).



23

A Broken Heart Is Precious and Not Sadness

A broken heart is extremely precious. And know that a broken heart and sadness are not at all the same thing. Because sadness is like someone is angry and upset, but a broken heart is like a son who expresses his yearning before his father, like a baby who cries and complains before his father for being distant from him, and this is precious and dear before Hashem Yisburach.
And it would be good for a person to have a broken heart the entire day, however, since most people can easily come from a broken heart to sadness, which is extremely damaging, may the Merciful One save us, as is explained numerous times, and see (the entry of) Happiness, therefore it is necessary to designate just some hours in the day to express one’s words with a broken heart, and the rest of the entire day he should be happy.
(Words of Rabbi Nachman, article 41-42; Outpouring of the Soul 19-20).

Na Nach Nachma Nachman MayUman


[1] In Outpouring of the Soul it says here, to pour out one’s soul like water etc. and to seek etc., whereas here in Likutay Aitzos, it first says to converse etc. to cull the good points and only then it says to pour out one’s soul etc..
[2] There are actually halachic opinions that forbid this, but the leading halachic authority, the Ro”sh says ruled that the prohibition only applies to the language of Aramaic, and this is congruous with the holy Zohar.


Na Nach Nachma Nachman MayUman!