Emuna Therapy

The Great Mitzvah of Settling the Land

 

                                Giv'at Ze'ev Chadash 20 minutes north-west of Jerusalem

The mitzvah of settling Eretz Yisrael, Israel, is so great that the Shulchan Aruch (The Jewish Code of Law - Laws of Shabbos 306:11) says that it is permitted for a Jew to buy a house in Israel from a non-Jew even on Shabbos.

The law says further that the non-Jew may sign the document of sale and register it in the non-Jewish court, provided that the Jew does not actually hand him the money explicitly.

 How should one do this? The Mishna Berurah says that one should show the non-Jew bags of money for him to to take as payment for the house. The Mishna Berurah continues saying that even though the Shulchan Aruch ruled in Sec. 307, Paragraph 5, that a labor prohibited on Shabbos by Torah law (not just Rabbinic Law), in this case writing - is forbidden to be done even through the agency of a non-Jew and even for the of a mitzvah. Even so,  our sages were lenient and permitted this to allow for the great mitzvah of establishing Jewish settlements in the land of Israel.

(I don't suggest you do this however, without Rabbinical consultation).

With Hashem's Kindness, the Ballen's settled in the above settlement two weeks ago. There is similar construction already underway on neighboring mountaintops. Who knows, maybe we'll be neighbors!

With every blessing,

Dr. Zev Ballen

 

A Worry-Free Succos

There is no better way to prepare for and enjoy the upcoming festival of Succos, than to read well these life-affirming words of my beloved Rebbe and spiritual guide, Rabbi Shalom Arush.

Translated by Rabbi Lazer Brody

It hurts me to see people persecuting themselves. Succot should be a time of the greatest joy, especially in the intimacy of the family. Yet, people have sterna nad unhappy faces because they're still worried about Yom Kippur.
 
I know that if I tell them that there's nothing to worry about, they won't listen. So, I'll play their game. Suppose that they still have stern judgments hanging over them that somehow weren't atoned for on Yom Kippur (and that's only "suppose"). That's still not a problem, as we're about to prove:
 
Gratitude and trust, when mixed together, become a magical spiritual elixir that mitigates all stern judgments. The Gemara (Tractate Berachot, 10a) shows us a magnificent illustration of this

principle in the following story: King Chizkiyahu was very ill. Isaiah the Prophet visited him and told him that his days were numbered. King Chizkiyahu answered, “Stop prophesying and leave! I learned from my grandfathers that even if a sharp sword is placed on your throat, don’t lose hope in [Hashem’s] mercy!”
 
What does this mean, the “sharp sword is placed on your throat”? Imagine the harshest decree signed and sealed on Yom Kippur; gratitude, trust and emuna can overturn this too. There’s always hope and no room for despair - ever.
 
We learn trust from King Chizkiyahu. Any person – no matter how low he has fallen – can make a complete turnaround and return to Hashem whenever he wants and under any circumstance. Things might look hopeless, but Hashem has infinite solutions and modes of salvation. Despair and depression are counterproductive. Trust, emuna, and gratitude work miracles.
 
Oftentimes, the Evil Inclination injects its poisonous propaganda into a person’s heart and brain. If it succeeds in reducing a person’s mood to the abyss of disappointment and despair, that person becomes neutralized. That’s why the Evil Inclination will tell you, “Hey, look what you’ve done! Look how terrible your sin is! You’ll never be forgiven…”
 
The Evil Inclination is a liar. Anyone sincerely desiring to make a new start in life can at any given moment. It’s so simple – Hashem loves every individual; He’ll unlock the door for anyone that truly seeks Him. We can always depend on Hashem’s mercy – this is the basis of our trust. We believe that Hashem is a loving Father and we thank Him for all His blessings. Soon, all the concealment dissipates…
 
With all this in mind, we can now appreciate what Rebbe Nachman of Breslev always emphasized – there is no despair in the world at all. There’s no reason for despair, since emuna, trust and gratitude provide a bright ray of light that guides a person out of the deepest and darkest tunnels in life.
 
Rebbe Nachman also answers the Evil Inclination’s claim that a person’s sin is unforgivable. Rebbe Nachman says, “If you believe that you can ruin, believe that you can rectify!” Once again, Rebbe Nachman’s teaching is anchored in the Gemara’s lesson about the power of teshuva (Yoma, 86a,b).
 
Hashem gives us a priceless gift called personal prayer. Anyone who spends an hour a day in gratitude, self-assessment, and teshuva attains a lofty level of emuna and trust. Hashem gives us the wonderful opportunity to judge ourselves; when we do so, Hashem doesn’t allow the Heavenly Court to judge us. Our sages explain that there is no double jeopardy in Divine jurisprudence – the Gemara says that if there is judgment in the material world, there is no need for judgment in the spiritual world.
 
Let’s take a closer look at the story of Isaiah the Prophet and King Chizkiyahu. Continue Here...

Blessings for a wonderful new year 5773!

Dr. Zev Ballen

World-Wide Prayer

Beloved friends - this video is well-worth 12 minutes of your time. Have a wonderful Shabbos and a Gmar Chasima Tova for the new year!

Blessings,

Dr. Zev

 

Please forward now: All Jews ready for September 23!

WORLDWIDE PRAYER FOR PEACE, SIMULTANEOUSLY, FROM ALL THE JEWISH PEOPLE !

Sunday, September 23 (17:00 Israel, 16:00 London, 11:00 New York, 8:00 Los Angeles…)

Blessings,

Dr. Zev Ballen

Wonders

 

By Dr. Zev Ballen                                                                  Image credit: jabbapablo

With true emuna, any person - by means of simple personal prayer and dialog with Hashem - can transcend any natural limitation and work wonders!

With Blessings,

Dr. Zev Ballen

Emuna Precedes Intellect

 

 

By Dr. Zev Ballen                                           Image Credit: John & Tina Reid

Here is one way to strengthen our emuna. Once a day, when something upsets us, rather than blaming it on "natural" forces, on others or on ourselves, say it was from Hashem otherwise it would not have happened. Write this in a notebook and review it periodically. 

Good Shabbos!

Dr. Zev Ballen

Rebbe

By Dr. Zev Ballen

For a long time, I've known in a vague way, that there is something in me that I was meant to share with others - some type of contribution that I was supposed to make. I could never quite grasp it, articulate it or even believe in it. Now and again I got a flickering image of myself fulfilling my purpose only to dismiss it quickly as impossible - not because I didn't believe in my purpose, but because I didn't believe in myself.  
 
I've had more psychotherapy and psychoanalysis than I care to admit. The theme was always the same - feeling inadequate. All of my therapists were expertly trained to see my 'inadequacy' but none of them saw much more than this.
 
When we were newlyweds, my wife saw my 'passion.' When you marry the right person, that person believes in you. In my case there were years of detours, avoidances, and suppressions of my purpose. But even at my lowest point - my wife believed that there was something meaningful that I was meant to do. 
 
It started with the Garden of Emuna by Rabbi Shalom Arush - the book shook me out of my lethargy. For several hours straight I forgot about my 'inadequacy.' The book filled me with wonder and fresh hope. My 'passion' for something was ignited. 
 
From there, I found Lazer Beams and became a Beams junky. During one of my first binges on the Beams, I spent most of a day and night watching Rabbi Lazer Brody's videos. These videos caught me off guard, and shook me further from my habitual spiritual slumber. I became absorbed in his every word! I experienced the delight of what psychologists call the 'flow state' -  it is an optimum state of feeling fully alive. I was totally engaged in what I was doing with my whole being. I used to watch the videos twice. The first time, I let it play straight through in order to get the flow of the lesson. On the second watching, I paused it frequently in order to take notes. Every word was a pearl.
 
Rabbi Brody's message was strong, clear and quintessentially practical. The greatest lesson that he ever gave and still gives - is himself. Through his personal example, Rabbi Brody taught me how to attach myself to Rav Arush. 
 
I stopped listening to  beautiful speeches from Rabbis, however brilliant,  whose behavior didn't match up to their oratory. Yes - Rabbi Brody also speaks beautifully and is very learned - but what pulled me in more than anything was just him.  Hours passed in the blink of an eye. Intrinsically I knew what I was doing was important for my life. I became less conscious of me. While I watched, I hardly ate, drank or slept. 
 
My wife agreed...after searching high and low for a spiritual guide - this one was a 'keeper!'
 
So that's how I found 'Rebbe,' which is what I call him to this day. There isn't a word in English that can describe what it means to call someone your Rebbe: spiritual father, teacher, mentor, coach, role-model, authority figure, therapist, Rabbi,  - they all fall short.
 
Soon it became clear that it wasn't enough to have a cyber-Rebbe - however wonderful. Although I was feeling better than before, I was still having some dramatic lows.
 
The question was how was I going to begin to live with emuna and not just read about it? Hashem sent me a wonderful teacher with real emuna - but He didn't send me a Rebbe for entertainment alone. Clearly I wasn't going to learn emuna through cyber-space-osmosis. I had to do something more. But what? 
 
The answers didn't come with one flash of lightning. It took time but I realized that G-d wanted me to help my Rebbe - to serve him. 
 
That wasn't going to be easy. He was very sought after; We lived on opposite sides of the world; and he had no idea who I was!  - But a Rebbe can't be a Rebbe without a talmid (a student) - the thought was consoling.
 
I prayed.
 
And G-d took care of everything. His fame and the distance between us turned out to be inconsequential.  
 
When I came to Jerusalem I met Rebbe in person. I started to work for him and to learn from him up close. Soon I saw that as much as I had studied him on film, I was not prepared for what he was like in person. When I sat with him for the first time, I knew that he was ten steps ahead of me. I could see that he understood everything about me in the first few minutes. Yet he was incredibly simple, humble and kind. He held my hand the whole time that we spoke. I can feel it right now - it was a gift for life.
 
What amazed me most was that in one short meeting, my Rebbe could see that special 'something' in me that neither I nor my therapists could grasp. From the moment he met me, that chronic flickering image of my life's purpose was crystal clear to him. My Rebbe saw my purpose and that I didn't believe in it.
 
In private, my Rebbe is a man of few words - yes he is busy - but it's also his nature to be concise. He is extremely warm and reliable but refuses to coddle: 'Zev, I wish you believed in yourself the way I believe in you'; 'Zev, I know that you still don't believe in yourself'; 'Zev - cut it out -  I won't allow you to doubt yourself!' Continue here...

With Blessings,

Dr. Zev Ballen
 

My Rebbe's Message

This is the story of my beloved Rebbe, Rabbi Shalom Arush, and the awesome wonders that G-d is enabling him to accomplish in the world. The ‘Chut Shel Chessed’ (a ‘Thread of Kindness’) Torah Institutions are spreading my Rebbe's message of peace, love and closeness to G-D to all of mankind.

Sit back and enjoy this one - it's really special. 

Don't forget to print out your copy of our weekly English Newsletter for the Shabbos table. Enjoy!  Download CSC NL Week 32 Matot-Masei (1). 

Chosesh Tov and Good Shabbos, 

Dr. Zev Ballen

 

Jerusalem Forever

By Dr. Zev Ballen

“Any nation that is foolish enough to attempt severing any part of the Temple Mount and Jerusalem from the Jewish people hasn’t learned the lessons of history.” -Rabbi Lazer Brody
 
Lately I’ve been going to the kosel HaMaaravi (the western wall) to do hisbodedus (personal prayer).  I got excited about the idea when I heard that the legendary Rabbi Levy Yitzchok Bender (1897-1989)  -  the spiritual guide for thousands of Breslever Chassidim – many of them baalei teshuvah, used to walk to the 

Kosel for Hisbodidus every single day that he lived in Jerusalem. Rabbi Bender was known to have not missed one night ofreciting Chatzot (the midnight prayer lamenting the Temple’s destruction) and hisbodedus in seventy five years. It is also known, in Breslever circles, that there is no other place where Rebbe Nachman’s spiritual presence can be felt more than the Kosel – with the exception of Uman.
 
Standing at the most revered site in Judaism – literally the spiritual junction of heaven and earth - I was reminded of G-d’s promise to the Jewish people: “Behold, He (G-d) stands behind our wall… What is special about the Western Wall…G-d swore to the Western Wall that it would never be destroyed” (Midrash Raba, Shir Hashirim).
 
Also - in his vision of the future third Temple, the prophet, Ezekiel saw that at end of our present exile, upon the re-building of the Temple, that Hashem’s Glory will fill the new Temple and G-d will once again dwell on the Temple mount as he did in the Temple built by King Solomon. (Ezekiel, 43:2-5). Ezekiel prophesized that the next Temple, may it come speedily in our days, will be an eternal edifice and permanent dwelling place forthe G-d of Israel on the temple mount in Jerusalem – my friends – you can take that to the bank.
 
It also states in Genesis Rabba (an early Jewish text), that the site of the Temple mount is one which the nations of the world cannot taunt Israel and say “you have stolen it”, since the site was purchased by King David “for its full price.” 
 
So how should Israel respond to those who are denying our right to the spot that G-d designated for our Holy Temple? 
 
My beloved spiritual guide, Rabbi Lazer Brody, cuts right to heart of the matter: “The entire world and certain evil leaders are denying our right to the area of our own Holy Temple. Once again, we have no cause to be angry at them, for as soon as we make real teshuva, they will crumble. But, until we make teshuva, those evil leaders should be forewarned that by disenfranchising Israel from what they call East Jerusalem, they are in effect trying to disenfranchise The Almighty. Cherished brothers and sisters, that won’t happen, period.”
 
Unfortunately we need not go back very far in history to see the evidence of our beloved Rabbi’s warning to the nations - when the world witnessed the tragic downfall of Japan a mere ten days after they entered into an agreement to sell nuclear rods to Iran and publicly denied Israel’s right to Jerusalem.
 
We are all so blessed to be in the prayers of my spiritual guides – Rabbi Shalom Arush and Rabbi Lazer Brody, May Hashem Bless them always. It is rare that Tzadikkim reveal to us the nature of their prayers to G-d on our behalf – but at particularly trying times – like these - for their own reasons, Tzadikkim sometimes do share their most private conversations with G-d openly with us – possibly because, after they receive a strong revelation of G-d’s Will, they want us to join them in praying for what G-d revealed to them. 
 
Rabbi Brody continues...

Blessings Always,

Dr. Zev Ballen

The Ultimate Difference

By Dr. Zev Ballen

In this week's Parsha, we learn about the twelve leaders of Israel who decided to spy on the land of Israel despite Hashem's guaranteed promise to give them the Holy Land of 'milk and honey.'

The commentators ask how it could be that these great tzadikim lacked emuna in Hashem's promise that the Jewish people would be victorious in battle against the nations that were living there? How could it be that men of such high caliber still needed to "see the land - what is it? and the people that dwell in it - [are they] strong or weak? few or numerous?" What did the spies have to worry about?  

Rashi tells us that Moses had already spoke with Hashem, and Hashem revealed to Moses His intention to bring the people safely into the Land and give it to them forever. Moreover, what possessed these tzadikim to fall so low as to malign the Holy Land with their evil report of a land that "devourers its inhabitants"; as well as to the sin of seeking to replace Moses with a new 'leader' (Rashi says: an idol) to return them to Egypt?

Since the Torah testifies that the ten spies were righteous people, the Nikcolsburger Rebbe finds some justification for their actions. He quotes the tzaddik Rebbe Moshe Tzvi of Savran who points to the verse "The Land is very, very good..." The Rebbe explains: Indeed it is a great merit to live in the Holy Land  where Hashem's presence fills every nook and cranny. However, one must remember the warning that follows on the heel of this verse: "...But against Hashem you shall not rebel!" Clearly one should never rebel against Hashem's commandments where ever one lives, but if a person sins in Israel, his sin is far more severe.

The Nikcolsburger Rebbe surmises that the spies were afraid that the Jewish people would be held up to a higher level of accountability while living in Israel, and the spies felt that it would be better for them not to live there as of yet. 

Although their intentions might have been noble, says the Nickolsburger, Yehoshua pointed out: "if Hashem will desire in us...and give us this Land." We are not taking this Land by ourselves. Hashem is giving it to us? And since Hashem is giving it to us, He will also give us the strength and ability to fulfill His Will, in Israel, despite the higher level of accountability to which we will be held. Why should we doubt ourselves and worry about this challenge if we have Hashem's guarantee?

It was not by accident that the only two 'spies' that did not complain against the land but rather heralded it's praises were Calev and Yehoshua who were close students of the tzaddik - Moses. This is one of many sources cited by Breslever Chassidim to show how much greater is the Divine protection of those who bond themselves to a tzaddik as compared to those who do not.

Even men on the awesome level of the ten righteous spies did not have enough merit of their own to save them from a sin that caused the destruction of both Holy Temples, and the subsequent torture and death of millions of Jews throughout this prolonged and arduous exile.

It would also be a mistake to think that Moses only prayed for his loyal disciples Calev and Yehoshua and not the other spies. Mose's prayed for them all. However even a tzaddik of Mose's caliber was only enabled by Hashem to save those who were fully committed to follow in Mose's teachings.

This is why Breslever Chassidim are so strict about praying with Rebbe Nachman on Rosh Hashanah even at great sacrifice to themselves and their families.

It is very beautiful and holy to pray with any congregation on Rosh Hashanah - but dovening with a true tzaddik is on a much higher level - as we see in this week's Parsha - it makes the ultimate difference.

You can download this week's Yeshiva Chut Shel Chesed's Parsha Newsletter right here: Download CSC NL Week 27 Sh'lach (1) 

Good Shabbos!

Dr. Zev Ballen

 

 

The Old Neighborhood

My friend has a son who he loves dearly. From the moment of his birth, my friend has loved and sheltered his child from harmful influences. When the boy was about ten, my friend moved his family to an ultra-orthodox neighborhood, and further insulated his son from the world-at-large. One day, Alan told his father that he wanted to go back to the old neighborhood to visit his childhood friends. His father was against it, but Alan was determined to go. Alan left his father to explore his roots. He missed his old friends and was curious about the life that his parents had led before he was born. 

My friend knew that Hashem was leading his son in this way, so he turned to Hashem with tears saying: "Hashem, I know that it's You who is taking my child to that place where You Yourself won't dwell! - and I know that I can't stop You, though I wish that I could.

  

You are testing me, Hashem, and You are testing my son too. So I'm begging You, G-d of Mercy - return my precious child to me at once!" 

The boy arrived at the Los Angeles airport and his uncle picked him up. Alan's uncle immediately lavished him with attention. He took him straight to the shopping mall and bought him expensive gifts. When they got home, Alan prayed the mincha service and unpacked some of his food from Israel. "Why do you have to eat that food?" asked the uncle. "And why do you have to pray three times a day? Do you really think that G-d cares about these things?" "Of course He cares", Alan answered. "I'm doing these things for Him." "Oh that's ridicules, said the Uncle, you've been brainwashed. There's so much in life that you're missing. Your parents haven't educated you properly. But I'll take you out and show you how to have fun. I want you to enjoy your stay with me. Now is the time to expand your horizons, Alan. We'll go horseback riding and then I'll take you to a club where they have music that you'll really love." Then he took the boy to his room and said: "Douglas is away, you can stay in his room, Alan. There's a computer in it. I know that teenagers can't be without a computer. You'll have complete privacy to do whatever you want here." Alan closed the door and felt a deep sadness. He never felt more alone in his life.

As he looked up at the computer, Alan's heart froze. He understood the new "privilege" he had been given...Continue reading here.

 Blessings Aways,

Dr. Zev Ballen