Emuna Therapy

Rising Above Anxiety

Here is an emuna-based meditation that you can use as a preliminary "warm up" to a personal prayer session, or simply to reduce stress and anxiety. You deserve 16 minutes! Take off your shoes and glasses, loosen your belt, turn off your phone -- Now just sit back in a comfortable position and prepare for takeoff. Enjoy!

   

 

Live Emuna Therapy Workshop Today

Do you regret the past? Are you blaming yourself for something?  Reb Shalom recommends that you forget the past and start again like you never started before. Today's lesson is entitled  A Fresh Start.  You can see it right over here.

With Hashem's Loving Mercy, we will be broadcasting  live today with Breslev Israel's new enhanced video hookup which has greatly strengthened and improved the quality of our video broadcasts.  You can see us live at: 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 be posting a link to it soon, I'H.

Wishing you Blessings Always,

Dr. Zev Ballen

Angels are not Created Equal

 

by Dr. Zev Ballen

Do you want to know what one little mitzvah can do? Imagine that you are standing in the middle of  a factory that is pitch dark. Out of your pocket you take a lighter. You flick it, and out comes a one inch flame - suddenly the whole room is illuminated.

There is an opinion in the Gemara that says that for every mitzvah that you do, an Angel is created who will defend you.  The Gemara also says that for every sin one does a prosecuting Angel is created - but all Angels are not created equal.  All you need is the Light of one defending Angel and He will displace the darkness of  1000 accusing Angels.  That means that  you can be redeemed in the merit of one act of kindness towards a spouse or a child.  The second opinion in the Gemara is that even if only one one-thousandth, .001%, of the mitzvah that you did was purely good; this is enough to wipe out 999 sins. Aren't you feeling better already?

Wishing you Blessings Always,

Dr. Zev Ballen

Imagine, Only Good Thoughts

 

 

In this classic footage of Rabbi Shalom Arush that was filmed and translated by Rav Lazer Brody, the Rav reveals how he worked on himself to become a person who enjoys only wonderful wholesome thoughts and has no negative thoughts whatsoever. In these precious eight minutes, the Rav reveals the essence of Emuna Therapy and how it differs from secular therapy. Based on a teaching of Rebbe Nachman of Breslev, the Rav explains that a person is essentially made up of his thoughts and that the goal must be to overcome unwholesome thoughts with good thoughts.  The failure of secular therapy results from people trying to battle against bad thoughts on their own. The Rav says that we can only succeed by inputting a large amount of new information from outside of ourselves (the Torah). Then we will start thinking differently. The Rav admits that when he first started out, as a young bal teshuva, he too had many bad and unwholesome thoughts but that he didn't confuse himself and pressure himself about this. Instead he accepted that this was the level that he was on and simply decided that he had to study and work hard to put good data into his brain. He was successful because he programmed himself like a computer with a large amount of "new data" about emuna. By immersing ourselves in learning about emuna and talking to Hashem, the Rav says that we too can be completely free of negativity. Enjoy!

Wishing you Blessings Always,

Dr. Zev Ballen

 

Don't Worry, Father

 

 

by Dr. Zev Ballen

 
Rabbi Shalom Arush teaches us about the importance of consulting with a Rabbi or a respected friend before making major life decisions -- but when it comes to finding ones unique purpose and mission in life -- says Rabbi Arush --- not even a Rabbi can help a person to figure that out. 

How can Rav Arush expect us to not be critical of our teenager's choices when they are still so impressionable and impulsive. What will become of our kids if we don't try to stop them from making the wrong choices? Read about David who left his parent's way of life to find himself; and how his parents, who were initially horrified, used the teachings of Rav Arush to transform their hurt and shame into a joy that they had never known. Read the whole story in:  Don't Worry Father.

Wishing you Blessings Always,

Dr. Zev Ballen

Blessings from Rabbi Shalom Arush

 

You don't have to wait until Rosh HaShanah in Uman to get a Blessing from Rabbi Shalom Arush. He promises that he is already Blessing you - every time that you learn about his teachings - and especially when you share his teachings with others.

With Best Wishes for a Happy Passover,

Dr. Zev Ballen

Family Time

 photo by Cooriander

Now that the kids are home for Chol HaMoed, it's a great time to "educate" them by showing them the traits in yourself that you want them to emulate. There is nothing more compelling, for children, than to spend time with  patient, loving, non-critical and  non-moody parents!   

In Chinuch with Love , Rav Arush points out that the Torah's Commandment to educate our children is so strong that we repeat it three times every day in the Shema. There we say: "Teach them thoroughly to your children and speak of them while you sit in your home, while you walk on the way, when you retire and when you arise."

What should we be "speaking of" with our children during these times? Rav Arush says that the commandment refers first and foremost to teaching them about good behavior and Torah values by personal example and not through lectures, criticisms and punishments.

Rav Arush is inspiring a new generation of parents who are teaching their children this way, by working on themselves first! These lucky children are learning how to assess their own behavior and correct it when necessary, an essential skill for a successful life. Children who see that their parents are becoming happier as a result of toiling on themselves, naturally want to be like their parents.

Wishing you a Happy Passover,

Dr. Zev Ballen

 

 

You Deserve a Break!

 

While we remove the chametz from out homes, may Hashem, Blessed is He, remove the rest from our hearts. 

This inspiring  rendition of "Lev Tahor"  (A pure heart) by Guy Tzvi Mintz with my beloved Rebbe, Rav Lazer Brody, was recorded 4 years ago in beautiful Bat Ayin, Gush Etzion, Israel.

The beautiful words were written by King David: "Lev tahor bara li Elokim, v'ruach nachon chadash b'kirbi." Create within me a pure heart, [my] G-d, and renew the [Holy] Spirit that is within me.

May Hashem bring us to our Seder tables feeling purified and renewed, and with an indestructible love and good will for each other: Enjoy!

Chag Kosher V'Sameach,

Dr. Zev Ballen

 

Emuna For Post-Traumatic Stress Reaction

by Dr. Zev Ballen

 

Dear Dr. Ballen,

I have been reading the Garden of Gratitude and read the point that if you thank Hashem for an hour each day for the good and for the seemingly not so positive in your life that you will see miracles happen to you.

Here's what happened to me:

I started doing this for an hour a day, even more for the tribulations than the good stuff, which are many in my life. Then I had what was for me a nightmare come up--a root canal, and I am the biggest baby in the world when it comes to dental work. Well, I thanked Hashem for the root canal, every aspect of it (and actually ate more comfortably on that side of my mouth than in the last 3 years).. I then had some foot pain, which I thanked Hashem for. When my son was just acting like a little kid, after all, I thanked Hashem for the minor tribulation and continued along this way for about 10 days.

Last Friday, I was walking to my workplace in Manhattan. My job is located between 6th and 7th Avenue on 21st Street. Ordinarily I walk right down the middle of the sidewalk to get to work. Before my work building, there are two buildings, an apartment building with a recessed entry and a beauty salon. So here I was walking. First, I am on the right side of the street (my workplace is on the left). I said to myself, this doesn't make sense, so I crossed back over to the left. I then was on the sidewalk in front of the apartment building and took a step toward the recessed entry (not down the middle as usual). IN the split second that it took me to take that step, an out of control construction jeep sped by me and slammed into a cement mini wall of planters near the salon, dislocating the particle board base from the planter. I was holding my hot drink and did not have a hair harmed on my head (Thank you, Hashem). The construction worker looked up as white as a sheet and apologized. I told him we were both very lucky that day. The beauty salon owner told me that the construction jeep weighed at least 500LB. I feel that this was a miracle.

The second miracle was that I did not bring my son to work with me that day, according to my original plan.

I have never seen a miracle before, but this was it! While I am going about my daily life, I also have the feelings of "counter reality" of what if that thing would have hit me. Probably years of rehab and/or surgeries and much pain.

What is the best way to deal with a miracle like this? (We are religious people, so that is already a done deal)

Best,

Helene

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Helene,

Thank you so much for sharing your story with me. These are the types of miracles that I am hearing about increasingly from people, like yourself, who are reading Rav Arush's books and doing an hour of hisbodidus daily.  Firstly, you must realize that your soul has undergone changes as a result of the many hours of prayer that you have made. One consequence of your faithful Service to Hashem is that you merited this awesome display of Divine Protection. Nevertheless, it takes time for the physical/psychological self to become acquainted with its new spiritual level. Your spiritual power is simply awesome. The truckers in Manhattan would be wise to stay out of your path.

Helene, in Heaven you have been elevated to an elite group of trusted servants. From Above, they are according you the respect that you have earned. Nevertheless until your psychological and mental apparatus may need more time to integrate this event and you may continue to experience some of the symptoms of post-traumatic stress such as you have described.  

I have seen these type of symptoms thousands of times. Under the circumstances, what you are going through is natural and will certainly pass. In the meantime, I hope the following remarks will be helpful to you:  Part of the "trauma" that you are currently in is that you really did see an open revelation of Hashem's Great Mercy and Love. Like when the Jewish people actually heard Hashem's voice speaking to them from the mountain-top, you too have been overwhelmed by a firsthand encounter with what you simply read about before. Hashem has also given you the gift of realizing how utterly vulnerable and helpless we are without His protection.

At this point Rav Arush would tell you to alter your hisbodidus schedule in the following way. Devote 30 minutes of your daily hisbodidus just to this incident (but not more time than that). Of course ask Hashem to uproot your symptoms, and calm your fears... Beg Him, as Rav Arush says, to fear no-one just The One! Pray to strengthen your emuna and to bond you to His Eternal Holiness. In addition ask Hashem how you can further serve Him...what more does He want from you? Remember that Hashem certainly would not have shown you this miracle if He didn't have something big planned for you in the future. For example: how does he want you to use your increased closeness to Him to help others? Try listening to more emuna CD's during this time. Do you have Reb Lazer's Calming Waters CD? If with all of this, you continue to be bothered by flashbacks, intrusive thoughts, or that sense of "counter-reality", speak with an emuna-based spiritual guide.

Wishing you Blessings Always,

Dr. Zev Ballen

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Thanks, Rabbi Zev,

I will work on including this into my hitboddedut; that seems like it will give a framework for incorporating it much better than thinking about the what ifs, in order to appreciate the Thank God. I forgot to mention that that morning, I only bought a one way ticket into Manhattan. After I did that, I had an ominous feeling--why did I do that, I asked myself. I have been telling the story to everyone and giving them the chiddush (which this was to me) about thanking Hashem for one's supposed tribulations. Personally, I am thanking God that I am, with my two hands, preparing for Pesach, enjoying the spring tree buds and finishing my root canal, Baruch Hashem.

 

Thanks again for answering;

Helene

The Secret is in his Eyes

by Dr. Zev Ballen

by Dr. Zev Ballen

His name was Yechiel Tzvi Lebovitch, may his holy memory be a shield for us.  The secret is in his eyes. You may recall my post of a week ago entitled From Hell to Paradise. There, I told the story of a simple grocery store owner who calmly stood ready to be shot by a group of blood-thirsty nazis, rather than give in to their demand that he open his store on Shabbos. Pointing to a wall, they told this holy tzadik that he had ten minutes to decide before they would kill him against that wall. Without hesitating the tzadick  walked over to the wall, turned his face flush against it and waited. The picture above is of the man who stood and waited by that wall - Reb Yechiel Tzvi Lebovitch.

In my first post I wrote that this man was the grandfather of Reb Yehuda Zev Lebovitch (a hidden tzadik who passed away several years ago and was one of the main spiritual guides of Rabbi Shalom Arush). I subsequently learned from Rav Dror Moshe Cossouto that this man was actually Reb Yehuda Zev's father. Reb Cossouto also said that it could be that Reb Yehuda Zev did not actually see this event but was told about it by his cousin. For the full story see: From Hell to Paradise.  Thanks to Rav Dror for the added information and the picture above.

Wishing you Blessings Always,

Dr. Zev Ballen