Emuna Therapy

Shavuos in Uman

By Dr. Zev Ballen

Rabbi Shalom Arush is in Uman at the Holy gravesite of Rebbe Nachman of Breslev for the Shavuos Holiday. Uman is not an easy trip for a Jewish person to make. Still, the hardships of the journey cannot be compared to the dangers that existed during the time of the communists reign. In those days,  relatively few people made the pilgrimage compared to the 33,000 Jews who went last Rosh Hashanah. Then, there was a real threat of imprisonment and even murder at the hands of the anti-Semitic fascists.  Almost all of the tzadikkim of that generation discouraged people from making the trip. There were those who were actually murdered in sanctifying  G-d's name as they attempted to reach the holy gravesite. Despite this warning, there were a handful of fearless Jews who with their fake passports and indestructible belief in Hashem scratched and clawed their way to Uman year after year. Two of those who went despite the grave danger were Rabbi Eliezer Berland and his main disciple Rabbi Shalom Arush. It was only due to their flawless emuna and determination that Uman was refurbished and re-opened for all of us today.

I can tell you with complete certainty that my Rabbi, Rabbi Shalom Arush, will be praying for every one of you on Shavuos. I personally witnessed the awesome power that Rav Arush's prayers can accomplish just yesterday. It only took a few seconds, but before leaving for Uman,  I saw the Rav literally bring new life to a complete stranger.  

Here is the Bamidbar/Shavuous edition of the Yeshiva's newsletter. I hope you enjoy it!  Download CSC NL Week 24 Bamidbar (2)

In the merit of Rav Arush and all the tzadikkim, may you and your loved ones taste the sweetness of our Holy Torah, this Shavuous, and savor it until the coming of the Messiah - May he come soon!

Good Shabbos and Yom Tov,

Dr. Zev Ballen

Holy Woman

 

A 38 week pregnant widow with six orphaned boys becomes holier and holier with each successful test that she passes:  domestic violence, marital betrayal, her husband's suicide and ultimately a fire that has left  her with nothing but Rabbi Shalom Arush and Hashem. Don't miss this one!

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

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

 

 

 

 

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

From Hell to Paradise plus Shiur Today!

by Dr. Zev Ballen

Reb Yehuda Zev Lebowitz was a hidden tzadick who we know very little about. He passed away several years ago. Some say that he may have been the head of the 36 hidden tzadikim of his generation. When Reb Yehuda Zev met Reb Shalom Arush he said that Reb Shalom possessed the purest soul that he had ever seen.

Those who are close with Rav Arush know that he too is a very hidden person. Reb Shalom is glad to help others with their problems but he does not discuss his personal life with anyone - Even with the biggest tzadikim of this generation. There was only one exception and that was Reb Yehuda Zev Lebowitz. Reb Shalom said that when he meet Reb Yehuda Zev the tzadik proved to Reb Shalom that he knew everything about his past and everything that Reb Shalom was thinking at the time. Reb Shalom said that he never felt like that in the presence of anyone else.  After he passed away, Reb Yehuda Zev's family told Rav Arush that the tzadik wanted to give Rav Arush the great honor of having his tefillin. Reb Yehuda Zev Lebowitz continues to appear to Reb Shalom in dreams at important times help him know what to doven for and how to lead the Jewish people.

I heard a story about Reb Yehuda Zev when he was a boy from Rav Cossouto. It was on a Shabbos somewhere in Europe.  Reb Yehuda Zev's grandfather came home from shul and a table was set up in the backyard for him to make kiddush outdoors. Just then a truck pulled up and several Nazi soldiers got out. They approached the grandfather and said that they knew that he had a grocery store and demanded that he open it right away. The saintly grandfather apologized saying that he was not able to open the store on Shabbos, but if they came back after Shabbos he would give them whatever they needed. The Nazi's laughed. Pointing to a nearby wall they told him that if he did not open the store within ten minutes they were going to kill him against that wall. Refusing to break Shabbos to open the store the holy tzadik walked  to the wall and stood there waiting with his face flushed against it.  The woman and children were screaming but the tzadik just stood calmly and waited. 

Exactly ten minutes later another jeep pulled up and another group of Nazis came out. They began yelling at the first group and demanded to know where they had been. They answered that they needed provisions and were about to take them from the tzadik's store.  They yelled back that there was no time and ordered the first group to stop what they were doing. They were forced to leave.  What a priceless gift of chinuch (moral/spiritual development) did young Yehuda Zev inherit in those ten minutes! What was that saintly grandfather was thinking while he stood at the wall? When I heard the following story about Reb Nosan of Breslev I thought I might understand at least something of what great people do under such circumstances.

Reb Nason, the chief disciple of Rebbe Nachman of Breslev said that if after his passing he had to spend time in hell, he knew exactly what he would do to escape unharmed. Reb Nason said that he would begin to recite one of Rebbe Nachman's lessons from Likutey Moharan.  Can you imagine the holy tzadik, Reb Nason of Breslev learning Likutey Moharan amongst the flames of hell. It would not be long, says Reb Nason, before the other unfortunate souls would gather around to hear the Rebbe's teaching. Once that happened - there would be no more hell - only paradise.  Hell cannot exist at all in the presence of holiness - it is forced to disappear. What Reb Yehuda Zev merited to see that Shabbos morning was nothing less than a miracle. He watched as his holy grandfather literally brought Heaven down into a living hell. With chinuch like this, it is no wonder that the boy became a lamed vav tzadik.

Set your alarm and catch my video-lesson later today entitled Peace First! and hear real-life examples of people like yourself who are changing their lives for the better by literally putting peace before everything!

 The lesson will be given today Wednesday March 28, 2012 at 5:00 PM Israel time at 13 Shmuel HaNavi, Jerusalem, on the second floor of the new Yeshiva building where it is open to men. You can also hear the live broadcast at: www.Breslev.co.il: in LA and the West Coast at 7:00 AM; in Denver at 9:00 AM; in Mexico and CDT at 11:00 AM; and the UK at 3:00 PM. If you have any questions you can write me at: zevballen@yahoo.com. See you later!

Wishing you Blessings Always,

Dr. Zev Ballen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Smile at your Problems

There was a time when Rabbi Arush was so deeply in debt that there was no chance that he could repay it.  All the same his friends saw him going around with that classic smile.  They remarked to Reb Shalom that they did not understand how someone in his disastrous financial situation could still look so happy all the time. Reb Shalom answered simply that he was just happy that there was a Hashem in the world who he could rely on.

Even so, Reb Shalom knew that it was his responsibility to pay back the money that he owed. He did not think that Hashem wanted him to be learning in Yeshiva while he owed so much money so he took a job -  but not an ordinary job. Reb Shalom reasoned that if he took a regular job he still would not be able to catch up to the mounting interest that was accruing on his debt.  Instead Reb Shalom Arush used the situation to prove to Hashem that he had complete faith in Him.  

From that day on, Rav Arush  dutifully reported for work in the forest where he spent  8 hours a day doing nothing but praying for relief from his debt. Reb Shalom said that Hashem had put him into debt, and only Hashem could save him from debt. Reb Shalom says that he "fought" with Hashem to return him to financial solvency. He said further that Hashem enjoyed the strong arguments that he put forth in his own defense because Hashem really wanted him to win the "fight". Reb Shalom continued to work for  Hashem until his financial situation completely reversed and Hashem made him enormously successful.  

Wishing you Blessings Always,

Dr. Zev Ballen

 

 

 

Nissan, the Key to Freedom

 

 

by Dr. Zev Ballen

On Wednesday of this week Rabbi Shalom Arush spoke to the members of the Kollel at the  Chut Shel Chesed Yeshiva in Jerusalem. The Rav spoke about the great significance of the month of Nissan to the Jewish people and the entire world. The Rav quoted Rebbe Nachman of Breslev who wrote in Likutey Moharan that there are two months of Teshuva(repentance) in the Jewish calender - Tishrei and Nissan. In Chodesh Tishrei we do Teshuva out of fear, but in the month of Nissan we do Teshuva because we love Hashem.

All thirty days of the month of Nissan are like Yomim Tovim (holidays). On the first 12 days of the month they used to bring the sacrifices of the princes of Israel; on the 13th day of Nissan was the Isru Chag (extra holiday) for the princes. On the 14th of Nissan the Korban Pesach (Passover sacrifice) was brought in the Holy Temple. Following this were 7 days of Passover and the Isru Chag of Passover   All in all Nissan is a month of many holidays. 

The Rebbe wrote in Likutey Moharan that Nissan is the Rosh Hashana - the beginning of the year - for kings. This means that it will be in Nissan that Hashem will decide who all of the nations Kings will be including when our Mashiach will come. There is a side to say that The first day of Chodesh Nissan is even more important that Rosh Hashana in Tishrei. In Tishrei everyone is judged on their individual thoughts, speech and actions but in Nissan, Hashem is judging the whole world collectively. 

The Rav is asking you to consider how very important the upcoming month is to the welfare of the Jewish people and to put special effort into your dovening and learning all month long.  Especially on the first day of Nissan which falls on  Shabbos, Parshas Vayikra - we should pray that Hashem will send us Mashiach, the true King of Israel and establish his Kingdom in Jerusalem as the leading kingdom on earth.  In the event that Hashem decides that it will be better to delay the coming of Mashiach until more of the Jewish people can still gain reward for returning to Him; we should pray that He will at least send us worthy leaders who will be good for the Jewish people. Usually we do not make requests of Hashem on Shabbos, but I recall that Rav Arush wrote in his book In Forest Fields, that it is an exception if the request leads to oneg Shaboos. If the request will give you simcha and add delight to your Shabbos, Rav Arush permits it. This is certainly what the Rav means here. To participate through ones prayers in bringing the Mashiach and quickening the final redemption on Rosh Chodesh Nissan will give even the saddest Jew something joyful to look forward to - therefore Rav Arush permits it even though this year Rosh Chodesh falls on Shabbos. Thanks to Myriam Kalchstein for her question on this point.

Nissan is not only the month of the Geula (our Redemption), but Rosh Chodesh Nissan is also Rebbe Nachman’s birthday. In Breslever tradition, we hold Rebbe Nachman of Breslev as the true Tzaddik of the generation until Mashiach comes. This is what Rebbe Nachman meant when he said that his fire will burn until the coming of Moshiach. Breslever Chassidim  try to visit Rebbe Nachman’s holy gravesite in Uman on Rosh Chodesh Nissan for this reason. Rav Arush and Rav Brody are probably in transit to Uman as I am writing this.

Have a wonderful Shabbos Rosh Chodesh!

Wishing you Blessings Always,

Dr. Zev Ballen

    

Do you need a Miracle?

by Dr. Zev Ballen

The students in our Yeshiva see open miracles every year after Purim. Someone without a cent to his name gets to own his own apartment in Jerusalem; someone else who is thousands of dollars in debt is told that he does not have to pay it back; other students have beat serious illnesses and still others have finally found their marriage partner or have had their first child. 

Rabbi Arush reassures us that our verdicts were not sealed  after Yom Kippur - because Purim is the "real" Rosh Hashana - the year is starting now - you can still overturn any harsh decree on this day of Divine Mercy!

According to the Holy Arizal, Purim is not only the holiest day of the year it is the greatest gift of Hashem's Mercy and Benevolence that He gave to the Jewish people.  Just open your hands and Hashem will fill them with whatever you want on this special day.  Rav Arush said that there are no individual or national decrees that cannot be overturned on Purim.  By drawing ourselves closer to the holiness of Mordechai and Esther we not only have the power to subdue our enemies but we can completely rule over them or exterminate them, if necessary, as we did to the Evil Haman.

What do the students of Rabbi Arush do on Purim to bring about miracles?  The two main requirements are: a total of 18 hours (18 = life) of personal prayer spread over three days and saying a special prayer written by Rabbi Arush with strong concentration  before every glass of wine. 

* On the fast of Esther say 6 hours of personal prayer that is focused on repentance.

* After breaking the fast, (In Jerusalem) we sleep for two or three hours and then go out to the field or forest for 6 more hours of personal prayer. Outside of Jerusalem this takes place after the reading of the Megilla.

* On the 15th of Adar (in Jerusalem) after the Megilla reading (at night)  we go again to the forest or field for the third 6 hours or prayer. Outside of Jerusalem you can do your third set of 6 hours sometime on thursday.

* It is better to not wait until Friday to do a long hisbodidus to leave time to prepare for Shabbos. 

* Purify yourself in a Mikvah before dawn.

* Pray with a congregation at sunrise.

* Hashem will be sending you what you have prayed for at the Purim feast - specifically when you will be drinking the wine and dancing. Your singing at this time is also considered to be pray. 

* Be very careful to not become intoxicated at all from the wine. Someone who becomes intoxicated on Purim has unfortunately wasted the most precious day of the entire year. If one's evil inclination to become drunk is so powerful, at least do it on another day other than on Purim. Rav Arush stresses how critically important it is to be sober on Purim. We have students who drink one or two bottles of wine and are sober because they are saying the prayer correctly. Someone who says the prayer correctly will not become intoxicated. Even if you can only drink one glass of wine in the prescribed way it is possible to merit:

* To correct all of your mental illusions.

* To obliterate all doubts from your mind and have no evil thoughts.

* Achieve great purity, complete emuna and much more...

* You can obtain the completely translated pray of Rabbi Arush  before drinking wine on Purim either at: Lazer Beams or by emailing me at: zevballen@yahoo.com. This excellent translation of the original Hebrew was provided courtesy of our own Dovid Katz of Chut Shel Chesed.

In the following video presentation, I present the main ideas that Rabbi Arush recently taught us about how to bring about miracles on Purim:

  

Best Wishes for a Joyous Purim,

Dr. Zev Ballen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tikkun for Autism

 

 

by Dr. Zev Ballen

 

In my recent article, Hashem's Special Kids, I mentioned a new tikkun (soul correction) that was revealed to one of today's hidden (lamed vav) tzadikkim by Eliyaho HaNavi. The hidden tzaddik then revealed the complete formula to my Rebbe - Rabbi Shalom Arush who has revealed it to us. Since my article was published there have been requests for the actual tikkun so here it is:

 

1. The Tikkun should only be done on Thursday evenings.

 

2. Starting at sunset on Thursday evening refrain from speaking; this should continue until after the morning prayers are completed. Only words of learning Torah may be spoke during this time.

 

3. Divide the night into three equal parts. Starting from shkia (sunset) until alos hashacher (dawn).

 

4. During the first part of the night learn Talmud.

 

5. During the second part of the night learn Mishna.

 

6. During the third part of the night say the entire Sefer Tehillim.

 

7. Following the Tehillim do an hour of hisbodidus (personal pray).

 

8. Immerse oneself in a mikvah before alos hashacher.

 

9. Recite the vidui hagadol (confession) of Reb Nissim Gaon which can be found in some nusach sefard siddorim or in pamplet form (usually distributed before Yom kippur).

 

10. Pray at a netz hachamer minyon (at sunrise).

 

There is someone in our Yeshiva, Yeshiva Chute Shel Chesed, who has been following this procedure dutifully for 4 months and has seen an approximate 40% improvement in his autistic child's condition. When Rav Arush told this to the hidden tzadik, the tzadik said that if this person will continue the tikkun his child will be completely healed.

 

The tikkun is an extremely demanding procedure. It requires physical, emotional and spiritual preparation. Particularly one should not undertake to perform the tikkun when under pressure or strain. It is very important to do the tikkun with joy. If one is not able to do the tikkun with joy, it is better not to do it at that time. Do not underestimate the power of your regular hisbodidus to also bring about miracles.  

 

Wishing you Great Hatzlacha,

Dr. Zev Ballen