Emuna Therapy

Live Broadcast Today

photo by: Emmanuel Rigaut

Our sages taught that we should consider everything we do before we do it, suggesting that we must learn to control our thoughts too.  How though, are we supposed to deal with thoughts when they enter our minds so automatically? Is it really possible to control thoughts? What is the Torah's view regarding  the role of memory? How can we ensure that concentration, memory and imagination are working for us rather than against us? These are some of the topics I'll speaking about later today in this week's live broadcast entitled: Your Higher Self.

G-d Willing we'll be broadcasting today's lesson live from the Chut Shel Chesed Yeshiva in Jerusalem at 5:00 PM Israel time. The broadcast, as well as my lessons posted 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 as follows: 10:00 AM in NY; 7:00 AM in LA and the West Coast, 8:00 AM Denver, 10:00 AM Mexico and Central Daylight; 3:00PM in the UK, 5:00 PM Johannesburg and Capetown, 5:00 PM Israel. G-d willing, we'll try and post a link to the lesson for all those who couldn't see it live by 12:01 AM Monday (Israel time).

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.

With blessings,

Dr. Zev Ballen

Escape from the Box

photo by Louish Pixel

In the Chut Shel Chesed Yeshiva in Jerusalem, there are so many people with amazing stories of what they were doing before they ended up in Rav Arush's yeshiva. Some of the students were five star chefs; others were world-class kick-boxers; there's professors and doctors and lawyers from top Manhattan law firms - and they gave it all up to come and study Rebbe Nachman's Torah in Israel. Why?

Because something, some message, some occurrence, hit them, and they all paid attention to what G-d was trying to tell them, and they acted on it.  Amazing things happen when we have the courage to act on the Heavenly messages we get. That's not to say that we go around making hare-brained or rash decisions. The correct approach is to...continue reading...

There's only one week left before Passover. These articles, by my esteemed colleagues will prepare you to enjoy the holiday to it's fullest:

Beyond Logic  By Rabbi Shalom Arush

Passover: Dread or Dream?  By Rabbi Lazer Brody

The Main Course  By Tal Rotem

Mess and Madness  By Racheli Reckles

Upstairs Downstairs  By Rick Eskenazi

EEEEEEmuna  By Rivka Levy

Shabbat HaGadol: No More Chains  By Rabbi Lazer Brody

Credit Cards: Two Sides  By Rabbi Berel Wein

Uplifting the Inner Animal  By Rabbi David Charlop

Blessings for a wonderful day!

Dr. Zev Ballen

Multi-Messaging

 

 

By Dr. Zev Ballen

As I was walking through the old religious neighborhood where I live in Jerusalem, a little boy splashing in a tiny pool caught my interest. It was the tiniest little pool on the tiniest little terrace that I ever saw.
 
I stopped for a moment and wondered how that little boy could be having so much fun in that cramped  little space. I watched him as he splashed around with total abandon. 
 
A thought went through my mind: Maybe he didn't realized that he was playing in the tiniest little pool that I ever saw. Maybe he wasn't comparing his pool to the Olympic size pools on rolling estates that I have in my mind. Maybe the little boy on the other side of the world 

who is splashing in his more lavish pool is not even as happy as this boy is.
 
So I asked myself: "`what is the message in this scene for me?"
 
The answer came:
 
I can also have fun with less. I too can appreciate what I presently have. What good does it do to think back to the spacious home that I once owned. The truth is I am happier now. I need to be grateful for that and also jump with glee!
 
This was  my message. 
 
But if a hundred of us were standing together watching the same exact scene. All of us would be getting a different message. 
 
One of us might think that it is dangerous for that boy to be there by himself without supervision. The message for that person may be that she needs to be more careful in the coming days to supervise her young children more closely. The message for her may not relate directly to a swimming pool, but it could relate to helping them cross a busy street or avoid playing near the electrical outlets.
 
For someone else, this scene might trigger a pleasant memory - perhaps a picture of himself as a child having fun in some similar way. The message for him might be to take a few moments to re-visit those joyful memories and re-integrate those positive feelings into his current life.
 
Another person might receive still a different message from this scene. For example: that he needs to be more spontaneous, playful and uninhibited in his relationships. 
 
It's so amazing that Hashem is spontaneously speaking to all of us all of the time in trillions of different ways. 
 
When the Jewish people were standing at Mount Sinai, we received the greatest gift that G-d ever bestowed upon man - His Holy Torah.  As Hashem uttered the first commandment: "I am Hashem your G-d," everyone present heard something personal and uniquely designed for himself.  Those who were well-versed in the deep Kabbalistic mysteries of the Torah, heard Hashem on that level - the woodcutter and water-carrier, on the other hand, received a simpler message from the very same words. 
 
Hashgacha Pratis or Divine Providence is everything that is taking place in the world from the movements of the celestial bodies to the heart beat of a tiny worm.  The world reaches out to us through our senses, imploring us to enter its hidden calmness and security.   As he lets go and falls into G-d's embrace, the person-of -Faith is immune from fear, anger, envy, impatience or doubt.  He is no longer fighting the current of reality, but humbly flowing with it.  Every loving nuance that G-d sends him is like a mother whispering to her beloved child: "Come to mommy, sweetheart ...that's right...you can walk...take another step...and another...you see...now you're walking by yourself!" 
 
The following day I was feeling restless and blocked.  I decided to take a walk outside. Continue here...

With Blessings,

Dr. Zev Ballen

Emuna and Creativity

By Dr. Zev Ballen

Psychologists have studied hundreds of brilliant and creative people. Yet when these people were asked how they came up with their novel ideas, none of them could explain how they did it. Do we need creativity to serve Hashem? Tune in and find out. 

 

With Blessings,

Dr. Zev Ballen

Thinking Outside The Box

 

By Dr. Zev Ballen                                                                         Image credit: anji one

Hashem is speaking to each one of us through everything that we perceive in the world and everything that flows within us. If 1000 of us were standing before the same event, there would be 1000 different tailor-made messages in the event for each of us. By attending to Hashem's messages in the constant stream of life we are able to "think outside the box" of our mental limitations, remain happy and receive Divine Illumination. 

Emuna and Creativity

 

 

By Dr. Zev Ballen                                                             Image credit: Brothersoft.com

Creativity is shrouded in mystery. Psychologists have performed hundreds of studies of creativity over the years. They have studied artists, scientists, composers, poets and Nobel Prize winners. Why is it that when these brilliant people were asked to explain how they came up with their brilliant and novel ideas they could not give a satisfactory answer? This is the subject of today's broadcast.

With Hashem's Loving Kindness, we will be broadcasting live today, Wednesday at 5:00pm Israel time from the Chut Shel Chesed Yeshiva, 13 Shmuel Hanavi Street, Jerusalem.

 You can see it right here. 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