Emuna Therapy

Call For Help

There is a remarkable young woman here in Israel, Lets call her Chavi. She is truly an inspiration. About two years ago, her first husband became very violent with Chavi and her children and later took his own life. Last summer, in an attempt to re-build her shattered life, Chavi made Aliyah with her children. Soon afterwards, she met a young man who was happy to marry her and help her raise her 6 boys. That was then.

A few weeks ago, this young man publicly announced that he found a new girlfriend and left Chavi 38 weeks pregnant. Chavi was at the end of her rope. The depression she felt was deepening by the day. She felt so broken and publicly humiliated. Then, someone took her to hear Rabbi Lazer Brody speak in the Golan. The speech revived her, and gave her new life. They brought her to Rabbi Brody, after the speech, and he spoke to her and Blessed her. Ever since, she has been clinging to Rav Brody's words and her new-found emuna. The Garden of Gratitude has not left her hands. It is her life now. She is thanking Hashem for it all! She draws her life from it night and day.

This past Shabbos disaster struck again. There was a terrible fire in Chavi's apartment. She lost everything - except her children, Baruch Hashem! The landlord is blaming her for the fire and wants her to pay for the damages, but it was not her fault at all. She has been staying in a temporary dwelling with her children and was told this morning that she must be out in another week! She is due to have a baby in two weeks!! Hashem have Mercy! Her children are beyond traumatized. They have not received any help. One is already showing signs of a serious mental disturbance since the fire. Yet, with all of this, Chavi does not complain. She is not bitter. She has accepted all of this and continues to pray. Chavi does not want to be a burden to anyone although she already feels like she is a burden.

This woman needs immediate assistance. Please give generously to our holy sister. Help her to put a roof over her head and to feed her children. She has no family to help her. She is pregnant and cannot run around looking for shelter. Please! give generously to this tender neshoma and her children, and in the merit of your generosity, may Hashem protect you and yours from all severe judgments.

Wishing you Blessing and Success,

 Dr. Zev Ballen

You can send your tax-refundable check made out to Dr. Zev Ballen to: 4 Ariel Street, Jerusalem Israel, 94386. Or if you want to use a credit card, you can either email me at: zevballen@yahoo.com or call me at: (02) 650-2936 with the credit card information (card number, expiration date, security code). Thank you.

Stop The Insanity

By Dr. Zev Ballen

 

Miriam was born into a very difficult life. Now at age 24, and married for the second time, (circumstances changed for confidentiality) Miriam is fighting to stay married and to be a loving mother to her children. Hashem, in his loving kindness, has led Miriam to the well of my Rebbe's teachings and she has began to drink from the sweet, healing waters of the holy tzaddik, Rabbi Shalom Arush, Shlita.

May Hashem help us to learn from our holy sister, Miriam.

Dr. Ballen,

I watched one of your videos today and decided to contact you. I desperately need help. My life feels like its falling apart. I am in my second marriage which is extremely tough and my husband keeps threatening to leave. I can't let it happen again. I have personal issues and issues with my kids. I have been surviving on the Garden of Gratitude, Women's Wisdom and listening to CD's - but lately it doesn't seem to be working.

I want to know if you can guide me about an issue that I'm having that is getting worse every day and I hate myself for it. My daughter used to have her times that she misbehaved but it has gotten really bad the last few weeks. She doesn't listen to a thing that I say. I can say things over and over again and she just won't do it. I'm finding myself doing things that my mother used to do to me as a kid - yelling and screaming and saying crazy things.I know that it is wrong I just can't stop myself. I love my daughter dearly and I'm sure there is a reason that she is acting this way - I just don't know what it is. I don't know how to get her to listen or to stop my insane behavior. I don't want to damage my daughter the way my mother damaged me. I hate myself for what I'm doing and it needs to change. I can't go on like this. I want to be the nice normal caring mother that she needs and deserves. I'm jumping out of my skin. Please help me! You can see the rest right here...

 

Expect Nothing

My Rebbe, Rabbi Shalom Arush says that we need to thank Hashem for the difficulties that He gives us with our children.  The difficulties are meant to help us realize that despite our best efforts, our children will not always please us, appreciate us or make us proud. We need to let go of the silly idea that everything that we want or expect from our kids should be coming to us. This was the arrogance of Haman, the evil one. Every Jew in the city of Shushan was bowing down to Haman except one - Mordechai, and this was still not enough for him. Hashem wants us to be one with our children. If you keep loving your kids without expecting them to reciprocate or give you honor, Hashem will give it to you instead.

Wishing you Blessings Always,

Dr. Zev Ballen

 

Sadness and Joy

"There is a story about Rebbe Shimon bar Yochei who went with his son Elazer at night to stand on top of a mountain. It was a very dark night which reflected the darkness of the generation they lived in right after the destruction of the Bais HaMikdash.  First they saw one ray of light, but only for a second and then it was dark again. Then came another ray of light and there was less darkness - then slowly...slowly, G-d's greatest light, the the sun, came out shining on the world.  Rebbe Shimon ben Yochei said to his son Elazar, from that Holy mountain: "My son, do you see... do you see!... this is how the Redemption of this whole world and  the rebuilding of the Holy City will happen: One ray of light and another ray of light and another ray of light until the whole world will be filled with joy and Holy light."

The above is from a four-part video series by Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach on Sadness and Joy. Reb Shlomo enlightens us with  the teachings of Rebbe Nachman of Breslev in a way that only he can. These videos should be required learning for us all. Enjoy it!

Good Shabbos,

Dr. Zev Ballen

 

Live Video Broadcast Today

When life is overwhelming and nothing seems be going right. What can we do? Today's lesson is a real inspiration. It is based on the advice of Rabbi Shalom Arush, may his name be Blessed. It's entitled One Spark of Light. You can see it right here.

With Hashem's Loving Mercy, we will be broadcasting live today, Wednesday at 5:00pm Israel time from the Chut Shel Chessed Yeshiva, 13 Shmuel Hanavi Street, Jerusalem. The broadcast, as well as our lessons posted from now on - are Mac and iPod compatible. If you tune in too early to the live broadcast link, you'll be sent to the main page of the Breslev Israel website, so try to tune in on time as follows:

10:AM in NY, 7:00 AM in LA and the West Coast, 8:00 AM Denver, 9:00 AM in Mexico and Central Daylight, 3:00 PM in the UK, and 5:00 PM Israel time. If you are not able to watch the lesson live, we will, G-d willing be posting a link to it soon. If you can't see the broadcast, you might need to download a new version of Flash Media player, which you can do here. We hope you enjoy the broadcast.

Wishing you Blessings Always,

Dr. Zev Ballen

Peace First!

by Dr. Zev Ballen

 

Peace really comes before everything - literally everything! Hear real-life examples based on the teachings of Rabbi Shalom Arush.

 

 

One Short Prayer

 

 

by Dr. Zev Ballen

Moshe is a 25 year old, married, Yeshiva student who requested clinical hypnosis for his symptoms of anxiety.  An intelligent person - Moshe was aware that the source of his anxiety came from the improper way that he was learning Torah. Instead of learning in order to give pleasure to Hashem, Moshe was learning to give pleasure to himself.  Instead of appreciating that Hashem gave him a good mind in order to make a huge contribution to the world; Moshe was learning in order to achieve fame for himself.
 
Moshe left Hashem no choice. Hashem would not let Moshe just throw away the valuable talents that He had given to him.  Hashem had to show Moshe that there was something much better than running after his own honor.  Hashem sent Moshe the gift of anxiety, and self-persecutory thoughts in order to help him to see the silliness of serving himself and not Hashem.
 
I asked Moshe: What good would hypnosis do without basic emuna? How would even profound relaxation help him if he continued to think about his situation in the same self-defeating way? Moshe understood this intellectually but was still frightened that by relinquishing  his wish for honor that he would not want to learn at all. He was frightened that he would become the stereotypical Breslever - "who accomplishes nothing in learning because he is too busy dancing with emuna like a simpleton in the street." Moshe was inconsolable. He knew that he  desperately needed emuna but actually feared it would destroy him. He wanted to trust me as a representative of the Truth - the teachings of the tzadikkim -  yet he could trust nobody except himself. What was he to do?  Fortunately for Moshe, there was no one for him to speak to about this. Hashem arranged it so that he would not listen to me or anyone else.  Continue reading here...

 

The Blessing of the New Month

Rebbe Nachman of Breslev said that on Rosh Chodesh the desire to return to Hashem is so powerful that it is felt throughout the entire creation. He said that even sinners in Hell cannot escape a certain regret for their sins and are  drawn closer to G-d.  Here is a powerful rendition of Yehuda Green singing Reb Shlomo Carlbach's melody for  The Blessing of the New Month. 

Here is the translation: May it be the will before You, Hashem our God and the God of our forefathers, that you inaugurate for us this month for goodness and for blessing. May You grant us long life, a life of peace, a life of goodness, a life of blessing, a life of sustenance, a life of physical health, a life in which there is fear of heaven and fear of sin, a life in which there is no shame or humiliation, a life of wealth and honor, a life in which there will be in us love of Torah and fear of heaven, a life in which Hashem fulfills the requests of our hearts for the good. Amen. selah.

Have a Blessed Month,

Dr. Zev Ballen

 

 

The Blessing of Poor Scholars

by Dr. Zev Ballen

Before Shabbos I promised you another great story from Rav Dror Moshe Coussoto. This one is a must read. 

Rabbi Yosef Dan and Rabbi Moshe Tzafati are both Israeli students of Rabbi Arush who learn in the Yeshiva.  Once they went to Canada to do hafatza, to speak to people about emuna and the teachings of Rav Arush.  While they were standing on a street in front of a supermarket somewhere in Toronto,  another Israeli man happened by.  When the man saw Reb Yosef and Reb Moshe, two poor Israelis standing there somewhere in Canada selling books and CDs, he asked what they were doing there. They asked him if he had ever heard of Rabbi Shalom Arush. He said no. They asked him if he was married and he said that he was not.  "And what's going to be with me", he said. He had been looking for a wife for a long time. Suddenly the avrechim (married Torah Scholars) said to him: "Hey don't worry. We have the book for you!" They gave him a copy of The Garden of Peace, by Rav Arush and told him: "Just read this book and you will merit to find a wife. The man became excited: "Are you kidding me, I'll really find a wife? Just then a 4x4 Jeep sped past at about 140 mph and came to a halt in the supermarket's parking lot. Out came an Israeli woman.  Standing there, she sees three shocked looking Israeli men. One of them said she could have only learned to drive like that in Israel. They laughed and conversed for a while.  In the end, the man bought the book and he and the lady went to do their shopping.  Reb Moshe Tzafati said that in three months he got a call from the man who told him: "Hey, do you remember that crazy woman driver? Well, She and I are getting married! 

Wishing you Blessings Always,

Dr. Zev Ballen

 

Sequel to a Bombing

I heard an amazing story from my good friend Rav Moshe Cassouto.  There was a bombing on a bus here in Israel. There were many dead and injured people on that bus. Amongst the survivors was one very severely injured woman.  After a while, that woman died on the bus from her injuries.  Soon she saw that her neshoma had left her body. She was floating outside of the bus and she saw her mutilated body still inside amongst the flames and horror that was there. She had become weightless and was starting to float up. She was a neshoma now and the nature of a neshoma is to rise. She no longer felt any connection to the situation below.  So she continued to rise and could still see the whole scene below.  She saw hundreds of terror-stricken people scrambling for safety and heard sirens.

When she had risen very far away from the scene, so far that she could see the globe, she began to hear very beautiful and compelling music. The music was  pleasant and delighted her.  She began to resist the power that was pulling her up higher. She made a great effort to resist the current that was pulling her and managed to come back down to a street that was near to the scene of the bombing.  The music was louder there.  She continued to look for the source of the music. She found that it got louder on a street where there was a traffic jam. Looking around she saw that the music was coming from one of the cars that was stuck there. As a spirit she was able to float right into the car. There she saw a woman holding a Tehillim (psalms) and crying over the Tehillim that she was saying.  The moment that she realized this, she found herself back in her injured body in the hospital . They were taking care of her. She needed to stay in the hospital for many months in order to recover. When she finally was discharged, she remembered almost everything that had happened to her. But there was one thing she did not remember.

She went to a doctor who hypnotized her.  In hypnosis she was able to go back to the car where the woman was saying Tehillim, and took note of the license plate number.  After that she went to the motor vehicle department and found out where that woman lived. She went to that woman's  house and asked her if  she had been saying Tehillim on day of the bombing. The woman said yes, that she had. Then she told her: "You saved my life with your Tehillim! It was only because of your Tehillim that I was able to come back to this world. That woman, like hundreds of people heard that bombing and was terrified, but she decided to grab her Tehillim and start reading.  

Rav Cossouto used this story to emphasize that we all have the power of that woman. We just need to believe in ourselves.  Hashem is not yet letting us see all of the wonderful results that our Tehillim, Tikkun HaKlali and Torah learning is creating in the world. He knows that it would be too dangerous for us, in our present spiritual condition.  It would just feed our arrogance. Nevertheless - we are creating  beautiful music with every word of our prayers.  

Rav Shalom Arush said that we are not even able to see 1% of the success of all of the emuna books and CDs that have been distributed. Rav Dror told us another miraculous story that happened to two of the students in the Yeshiva - Yosef Dan and Moshe Tzafati, when they were selling Reb Shalom's books outside of a Canadian supermarket in Toronto - B"H I'll share it with you after Shabbos.

Have a great Shabbos,

Dr. Zev Ballen