Sanctuary

HH

Sanctuary

Our sages revealed how Rome was created from a single reed planted in the Ocean upon King Solomon's forbidden marriage to the daughter of Pharaoh – the symbol of external wisdom (Likutay Moharan 35), and this reed collected upon itself more and more such gook, of sciences and philosophy, until the island formed. If such is true of impurity, then holiness infinitely more so has this power to create and build an entire stature of holiness from just a single good point, as Rabbainu revealed in his famous teaching “Azamra” (Likutay Moharan 282).

Rabbainu revealed the highest secrets on the Talmudic lore of Rabba Bar Bar Channa, of those that go down – setting off to sea. These fantastic legends the Vilna Gaon says are reflections of the crazy things a person sees in his lifetime – each and everyone knows for himself some crazy wild stuff that happened to him or that he witnessed – often there are things we can't even share with anyone, and that is why we respect even an elder gentile – because the experience of life in so many years ascertains that this person has witnessed and been a part of stuff we have just barely glimpsed and may no nothing of and wouldn't even dream could happen, certainly not to us ourselves.

In this ocean which is our life, we need to find sanctuary – a strong foothold, where we have a firm grip on ourselves, where we are anchored and can take hold of our lives, take stock of what has transpired and plan for the future. This is the gift of hisbodidus that Rabbainu bequeathed to the world. Establishing that everyone must make a set time and place every day to check in, and anchor. From this one little point of the day, a person can collect upon himself more and more good points, until he is already floating a firm island, and dominating the entire day in holiness.

Rabbainu said that this hisbodidus should be in the wild, in a place where no one goes, and at midnight, at a time when the air is pure of the invading thoughts of the world. A person needs to build his anchor on solid firm ground. But most people have despaired of actually fulfilling this, as their daily storms they weather make it seem to them impossible to actually break away even just for a bit to such a solid firm place. So Rabbi Nussun asked Rabbainu (Words of Rabbi Nachman 279) what can when do when the bad is simply too overpowering?! Rabbainu answered that in such a case one has to shut down, one closes his eyes and mouth, and shuts down. If a person can't make it out of the storm, he must make his stand right where he is, and buckle down. He must close his eyes and mouth, he should also plug his ears up with good kosher music (one should have a playlist prepared, and whatever other preparations), and reach out to HY with all his heart and soul, from right there and then. This is a person's SANCTUARY. This experience should be such a relief and a point of hope for the person that he looks forward to it all day. In this way a person also gains the strength to weather out all the craziness that may engulf him, knowing that soon he will just close up and enter his SANCTUARY and find relief and ecstasy with HY. Slowly he can extend the time period of his daily SANCTUARY, and even make a second time in the day as a SANCTUARY, until he can slowly completely take a hold of even the events that take place outside of his SANCTUARY, finding how to deal with them from his safe spot, from where he knows how to control and direct, he can start to deal with his daily challenges. First and foremost he will be able to begin to pray the set daily prayers with his new found personal domination, and thus he will gain new SANCTUARY islands in the day, and build up his kingdom. Until eventually he will reign B”H over the whole day.

Na Nach Nachma Nachman MeUman!