Questions and Answers #2

Here are some of the questions that were sent to us, and the answers sent back.
If you have a question that you would like answered please click here.

Q       What is the first step I should be taking when I want to begain purifying myself and become Shomer Habris?

A       The first thing you should do is the following. Circle around your room or apt. gather every object of impurity that you can find. This includes books magazines movies cds dvds..... Do not have mercy on any of these objects if you are attached to them or care about their monetary value. Next gather all these object wrap them in 3 garbage bags and cary them a number of blocks from your home. Find a garbage where you are sure that no one will open the bags. THen throw the bag in the garbage bin. As you are doing this say the following with your mouth. Hashem mighty king of the Universe I am fully aware that I am covered with sins of impurity, however now I am making a move to show that I am trying to cut myself off from my sins. What I am doing now is a very large sacrifice and it is extremely hard for me to do so. However I am forcing myself to do it. May this action count in front of you like a large sacrifice and in merit of this action you will help me fight my desires until I will eventually demolish them and become completely shomer Habris.

Q      On two day fasts, is there a break in the night where you can drink liquids, or not?

A      No, the Tikun as brought down in Shar Ruach Hakodesh is to fast from Shikiah until Tzes Hacochavim two days later. A full 48 hours with no eating or drinking.

Q     Can I use drugs to help me worsip G-D?

A     One of the main points of Kabbalah is to reach states of Mochin Degadlus - expanded consciousness. When a person is in these states he can reach very high levels of devotion and performed very large Tikunim. These states can be reached through Kabbalistic meditations and prayers. However as long as a person has not rectified his previous actions the pathways of his mind are blocked off by Klipot, it is therefore very hard for him to reach these levels.

Drugs provide a lower and temporary spiritual experience and a person might be tempted to use them, especial if he has had uplifting experiences while on drugs in the past. This person might even rationalize that it helps him attain spiritual experiences and it strengthens his worship of G-D. However this is all a trap for a short term elevation. If a person has not yet purified himself and has not yet rectified his previous actions then most of his spiritual experiences stem from the Sitra Achra. This is especially true when he is using an impure substances such as drugs to attain mystical experiences. This is a hole that many have stumbled into. This was one of the main draws of Idolatry / Avoda Zara.

Drugs do serve the following purpose. .. Due to the fact that the average person is very far from having purified his mind, he is therefore very likely to pass his whole life without attaining any spiritual experiences. Most of the Kabbalah is descriptions of spiritual dimensions and states of consciousness that are impassable to describe to someone that has never experienced them before. A person might therefore come to not Heaven Forbid not believe in the Kabbalah or even if he does believe that these elements exists as a pure fact, since he has never personally experienced them, these teachings do not motivate him as they should. A person that has taken drugs has many times experienced mystical states of consciousness, he can therefore associate much better with these teachings. Many people were led to do tshuvah due to states they experienced while on psychedelic drugs and the fact that they started studying Kabbalah.

These mystical states produced by drugs are just low copies emanating from by the Sitra Acher. Therefore a person that has never taken drugs should definitely not begin doing so for it is very spiritually damaging. What ever motivation that he might get by using them is far out weighed by the damage that he is causing. A person who has already fallen into the use of drugs should stop this practice immediately. Any arguments that he may have for wanting to continue the use of the drugs are false and they are pulling him in the opposite direction. Even though he must now go through an extended period of time when he must serve G-D in a state of Mochin Dkatnus / constricted consciousness without experiencing glourious mystical revaluations he must do so. He must do so until he has purified himself and is able to achieve mystical experiences from their true source and without the use of drugs. However he should use his past mystical experiences as a drive and a motivation to plow forward since he knows that such states exist and can be achieved.

Q      At night I see dreams in which I am given signs, should I follow them?

A      Regarding dreams. Most dreams are irrelevant and come from the side of impurity and should be ignored. A dream might contain some truth as every lie must be built on truth. If a person starts following his dreams then they start playing around with him even more until they control him like a puppet. Sometimes however a person might receive a dream from the side of purity even though he does not have the merit. This is meant to serve as a wake up call, it is a sign that G-D wants him to do Teshuvah. The rule is if the dream helps you serve G-D then follow it if not then ignore it totally. Do not be afraid of it even if it does contain some truth, for this is is exactly what they are trying to do to you.

Q      I was considering moving to Eretz Yisroel but now I feel that I am unworthy since I still smoke weed.

A      Regarding that you are not worthy to move to Eretz Yisroel since you still indulge in weed and have seen signs from G-D that he has treated you coldly and that he therefore wants to reject you and he is no o longer interested in you. These are all an illusion they are simply an obstacle that must be broken, a test that must be past. G-D never rejects anyone he always wants you to keep on trying, even if you fall he only wants you to get back up and keep on trying. However the Klipot know that as long as you are living in the US they control you like a child, the second you move to Eretz Yisroel they will lose a large amount of control over you. They are also fully aware of the fact that if you move to Eretz Yisroel the chances of you getting your life together and becoming a holy person will increased many times. They are therefore tying to discourage you by convincing you that you are a wicked person and that you are unworthy as well as they make it seem as though G-D is pushing you away. THis is the oldest trick in the book Rebbe Nachman warns us about this many times.

Be strong ignore the opposition and do what you know is the true thing. You are still young and it much easier for you to make changes at this stage.

I am posting the answerers on the blog for many people have these questions and want them answered but most do not come out and ask them.

Q    Where does the word Alufim come from?

A    It is one of the Seventy names of Yisroel. These are brought down by the Bal Haturim in Bhaloscha. These line up with the seventy names of G-D and the seventy names of Matat'.

Q    I have a few questions concerning the fasts. First, does it involve not drinking water or other fluids?

A    A fast is from both food and drinks.

Q    Second, I thought that we need to do two 48 hour fasts so are those with liquids or not, and if not are they counted as 27 day each making a total of 59.

A    Sorry it was a typo it should say 3 - 48 hour fasts and 3 regular fasts
Or 2 - 72 hour fasts and four regular fasts.

Q    Third, is it possible to have a detailed plan for the tikun pa daled?

A    The time is not yet right - for this to be placed on the web.

Q    I've been confused about the Breslov concept of Hitbodedut. If Hashem already knows my money problems, fears and that I still have a problem with Pgam Habris...why do I need to verbalize it to Him? If the Almighty knows in advance my destiny and how my story will end, what is the point in talking to him privately?

The Creator knows way ahead of time what I'm going to think, say or do. So why do you say that the HIGHEST TIKKUN is Hitbodedut?

A     This question not only relates to Hisbodedute but rather to any form of prayer or Mitzvot. The answer involves the mystery of an awakening from below. In order to have an awakening above one first has to cause an awakening from above.

The second aspect is that when a person does Hisbodedute he rises himself to a higher level. Once he is on a higher level then Hashem deals with him differently since he is now like a different person. What was decreed upon him before was as long he remained at his former level.

Q     Does an 84 day fast have to be done on 84 available consecutive days?

A     In general it is better to do Tikunim consecutive so the Klipot have no chance to recover. In Kitvay Ari it rarely mentions the word consecutive. However by the Tikun of Pay Daled tanasim he says that it should be done consecutive.

Doing the fasts consecutively is much harder and many of the latter Kabbalists agree that it is not necessary to do them consecutively in later generations. If someone does do it consecutively it will surely be even more effective.

There are also shortcuts, the Ari writes that a 2 day fasts counts as 27 fasts and a 3day as 40. The only thing is these can not be broken up for different Tikunim and must be used for the same Tikun.

The Chida brings down how to do the 84 fasts consecutively during SHOVAVIM and many Kabbalists do so. You use Shabbat and Rosh Chodesh to break up the fasts since they are not counted as breaks.

Q      Should regular fast days (Taanit Esther, Asarat Btevet ETC) be counted as
part of the 84 fasts?

A      Yes if a person is fasting retzufim it may be counted. If they are not consecutive then not.

A      One can accept the fast in any language. If he forgets to do so during Mincha he may accept the fast until sunset.

A    If a person wishes to fast on sunday he may accept the fast during Shabbat afternoon.

Q      If while walking in the street your eyes grasp an impure image what should you do?

A      The first thing is to immediately shoot your eyes and have them gaze on any other object. If you have not yet purified yourself or are in a state of low energy and find it hard to pull your eyes away, then gaze at an object alongside the image or the tip of your nose. This is very easy since your Yeter Hara does not feel like you are running away from it. Once you have done this you have greatly weakened the temptation and then you easily regain full control. This whole process takes around a second, however every split second counts. After you have done this immediately start mediting on the Divine names associated with Shmiras Habris and demolish the Klipot.

All impure thoughts are generated by the impure spirits that a person has drawn upon himself. These are not the person himself and they only have power to continue as long as a they have a grasp on the person. As he pushes them from his conscious awareness which is his essence, his soul they lose more and more hold until they are destroyed. The opposite is also true the longer a person lets these thoughts dwell in his conscious mind the stronger they become.

Regarding Sheviti, the highest way to see the Shem Havaya is to have it black fire on top of white fire. However this is a very hard level to reach and a persons mind must be very pure and he must be an expert in Visualization Meditation. When a person first starts Shiviti he has to run and and return, place the name in one of the slots and keep on running to the other thoughts and then returning to visualizing the Shem Havaya. It comes out that a person does have a couple of things on his mind however he keeps on returning to Shvite. This is what a person must do when he wishes to do Shivte at all times so he can function and do other things as well as he is doing Shivte.

Then there are times when a person wishes to reach the higher levels of visualization he must then go in to deep meditation to do so. This is why Rabbi Nachman couldn't concentrate on anything else when he was younger. After a person does this for a while and if his mind is pure then it is burned into his mind and he no longer needs to place the effort he had to as when he was first starting out.

A    It might, but it is not advisable. When a father names his son at the Bris a low level of Roach Hakodesh descends on him, causing him to choose one name over another. This names contains the attributes, characteristics and mission of the new borne. Changing a name should only be used in an extreme emergency. A person should not run away from his destiny but rather work to make it come true.

A      There are certain levels of Kabbalah that can be very harmful to a person if he studies them before he is ready and worthy of it. However the basics of Kabbalah should be known to everyone. If a person is asked to make such a big sacrifice as to be Shomer Habris he need a strong drive to do so. A person also needs to attain the fire of Kedusha that he can use to cleanth himself and drive away the Klipot. He also needs a replacement for the impure energy he was living on until now.

A person in the pits of tumah the best thing he can do for himself is to begin studying Kabbalah. However he has to know his limits so he does not damage himself. Rabbi Kaplan's books are fine; they have caused many people to do Teshuvah. Reading Zohar is highly recommended. Likutay Maharan was written for everyone. A person who wants to get himself out from the pits of Tumah, the first thing he should do is study Likutay Maharan. As Rabbi Nachman himself said "the most ill patient needs the most experienced doctor".

A      We do not follow any particular group. Every Breslov is good. We do not involve ourselves in controversy and politics.

A      For the first trip a person should give up everything and go. After that it goes as follows. A number of times Rabbi Nachman was asked by students facing extreme opposition whether they should be by his Rosh Hashana or not. Rabbi Nachman would reply that his Rosh Hashanah was everything. When the disciple would starts complaining how hard it was for him to make it Rabbi Nachman would reply so don't come. This would go back and forth a number of times. Rabbi Nachmans rule was he would never force anyone to do anything. He gave his answer, Yes he thought he should be there. However the person would have to make up his own mind.

Some people go to Umon they see miracles. Others only see opposition from it. Ether way everyone knows that he is receiving a priceless tikun. How much a person is willing to sacrifice to get there is truly his own personal decision.

Q    I have made a couple of attempts at Hitbodedut, all to no avail. I have allot of trouble letting go and speaking freely to and I don't believe its because I cant see who I'm talking to, as even when I'm by a Tzadik I am never able to say what I need to say. What recommendations do you have?

A     Hisbodedute is by far the highest Tikun possible. If a person does it right it is higher then any fast and segufim. There is therefore an immense amount of opposition. There are many tips and pieces of advice. Nothing works all the time a person has to constantly switch tactics. Most of this information is brought down in Hishtapchut Hanefesh translated by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan Outpouring of the Soul (small paperback). The main trick is to set aside time and do hisbodedute every day no mater what happens. Even if a long period of time passes before he brakes through in the end he is guaranteed that he will.

A      It is not hypocrisy at all. A person has a Yetzer Tov and a Yetzer Hara sometimes one is stronger then the other. It is not a contradiction at all. A person should try to make sure his Yetzer Htov is always dominating. However if he succumbs to his Yetzer Hara once in a while it does not mean that he is a hypecrit, it does not mean that he should stop doing Tikunim. If a person has fallen he should just ignore it, never look back and keep on doing Tikunim.

Rabbi Nachman the Tzadik Yesod Alom stated very clearly that
ONE MUST NEVER GIVE UP

If he falls even hundreds of times and keeps on getting back up in the end he will win.

Also Rebbe Nachman writes that the further a person is away from Hashem the more Hashem receives enjoyment from his actions when he does do a small move for the sake of heaven. A person that grew up religious in a family that were all Shomer Habris, this person sits and learns torah all day and never visits places of impurity. It is relatively easy for this person to be Shomer Habris. However a person that his whole life was sunk in the Klipot and now for the first time he is fighting with all his might to be Shomer Habris, this person even if he fall a number of times in the process, still each time he gets up and starts again, this is very enjoyable in the eyes of Hashem. This can be compared to a father that is watching his son learning to walk. Even though the infant falls many times, each and every time that he gets up determined to continue, the father derives much enjoyment from this.

A      Heaven Forbid, no one is ever doomed. There are people that have committed much worse sins that have done Tshuvah and merited to reach very high levels.

A       People stem from different tribes some lean towards the Chasadim (Seferot of the right) and some towards the Gevurot. Those leaning towards the Gevurot are normally not so affected by people speaking of happiness and serving G-D with joy, they like to see solid information that effects their day to day existents. This site was put up with that intention.

The first thing a person must realize that although he must fight every second of his life until his last ounce of energy, he still must chose his battles wisely. A person only has a limited amount of energy and time. If he wishes to be victorious in the end, he must focus on the real battles, the places where he can hit really hard. The rest are just distractions. A person must put great effort into not being distracted from the true goals. The main goals of this person should be to fix the damage done by Pgam Habris. As this happens his "luck" will improve by itself.

A person has the right to feed himself and Hashem will never destroy a person or put him in a situation that he truly can not handle. The Sages teach that a person is never placed through a test that he can not pass.

The following advice is for a person wishes to take the easy way, if a person wishes to stand and fight with all his might that is surely more honorable.

A person who feels his Parnasa has been cut off should avoid being an independent businessman and should find work as a laborer for someone else. When you are a worker receiving a set salary you are not the one responsible for bringing down the energy it comes down through the one paying you. If for some reason this other person is getting it, at least it is not your responsibility to bring it down.

Also a person should settle for a job that he considers degrading for his stature.
It can be very hard to work for someone else and it may be extremely troubling if you know that your boss is a wicked person that himself is not worthy of the energy.
However the point of all this is as follows. You are never going to be completely cut off from energy; you just have to accept it in the damaged condition that it comes in.

Secondly this is only temporary. Although it looks that you are submissive on the outside. In truth you are fighting back very strongly by doing as many Tikunim as you can during your free time. It is only a matter of time before you refix the pipelines and have your energy coming down normally. In addition all the suffering caused by this constrictive situation, if it is taken in good spirit it is a mighty Tikun for ones sins.

During this period a person should do as many Tikunim as possible. He should also pray constantly that his situation improve. It comes out that he is hitting very hard and avoiding all distractions.

Another thing that is extremely helpful to prevent the wrath of the Dinim falling on you as you do Teshuvah is to study Torah. Torah gives a person a huge amount of protection from the punishment sent to him for his sins. This can openly be seen for many Yeshiva students were Pogem Habris, yet since they spend a large part of their day studying Torah they are not punished so badly. They then get married and sit in Kollel for a few years. After this they lead relatively peaceful lives. This is the path many Bali Teshuvah take as well, they spend many years in Yishivah/Kollel before they continue on. [This is definitely far from the optimum; as this does not get you to high levels, for one must actively rectify the damage] however in the end most lead relatively peaceful lives and end up being Shomer habris to a large degree.

Either way a person must set aside a number of hours every day when he studies Torah. This should be done daily on his set schedule. If he has trouble concentrating by himself he should study with a Chavrusa.

Although it is a very hard battle and a person unfortunately might fall a number times before he is victorious, it is differently not impossible. There are many people who were steeped in these Klipot and they fought until they won.

We recently put a page with a lot of practical advice on how to be Shomer Habris
http://www.truekabbalah.org/pages/Documents4/k00215.htm

In short the main thing is to make as many boundries between yourself and the sin as possible . The secound thing is to do as many Tikunim as Possible (Torah, Mikvah...) for these will come to your aid at a time of need. They also remove much of the temptation.