Hakdamah/Introduction

As a brief introduction, the Ari’zal writes that one who does not sleep the night of Shavuot and toils in Torah is assured to live out the year and no harm will occur to him. Shulhan Arukh with Mishnah Brurah 494:1 There is a compilation of torah learning known as “Tikkun Lay’l Shavuot” which has the Zohar and the writings of The Ari’zal as its source, and many have the minhag to say/learn this on Shavuot night. Kaf Hachaim 106:7, Lev Dovid L’Hachidah. This compilation can be purchased at most Hebrew Book stores.

We here follow the Sefardic custom as appears in the Nahar Shalom version.

Traditional Kabbalah holds that women should not say the “Tikkun Lay’l Shavuot”. However, some say that a woman who counted all the days of  Sefirat Ha’omer may learn the portions of the Tikkun which are from Tanakh.

S’U Rav Poalim 1SY:9, Kaf HaHaim 106:8

One should not belittle the importance of this reading., and this Sefer Vehalav Tahat LeShonaik is dedicated to this venture. Even though it consists of simple verses and passages, this is a time-honored custom that should be respected and followed. The Tikkun generally takes approximately 2-3 hours (depending, of course, on the speed at which it is read), and after one completes the reading and the list of the 613 Torah Commandments, he is certainly allowed and encouraged to study the Midrashim and Zohars translated below.

The 24 books of the Torah correspond to the 24 adornments we prepare for the Bride (we Jewish people) for our marriage with Gd under the Huppah (Mount Sinai) with our Ketuba (the Torah). They are listed in Yeshayah 3:18-24 and are: shoe-bells, head scarves, moon-shaped ornaments, necklaces, bracelets, veils, bonnets, leg bands, hair ties, brooches, earrings, rings, nose rings, robes, shawls, kerchiefs, pouches, mirrors, linens, turbans, claps, belts, coiffure, and ornamental belt. We read a portion from each book to bedeck the Bride, which is her Tikkun–repair, hence the name Tikkun Lay’l Shavuot.

It is said that all were healed from the venom of the Garden of Eden Serpent when the Torah was received.

Guess what? The Torah is received anew every year. And if you are present and have learned the Tikkun, you have done a good start to heal yourself in the 24 areas corresponding to the 24 garments. By clothing the Bride we are healing ourselves. Even though it may not manifest externally, Kol Yisrael–the collective soul of Israel–is a very different creature after this come Wednesday morn.

Blessings on a night of renewed Torah: the Torah of the body, the Torah of the mind, the Torah of the soul.

For the elevation of the soul of my father Shmuel ben Mosheh Yaakov and for

Devorah Ester bat Yaakov, and the Yom Huledet Samayah (Shavuot) of Malkah Ester bat Rivka.

Rahmiel Hayyim Drizin

Revised version Sivan 5771

Complete Torah Learning for Shavuot Night

Table of Contents:

Hakdamah/Introduction….page 2

Mikveh Meditation before Shavuot….page 3

Psalm for Shavuot…..page 4

Shavuot Table Learning….page 5

Divre Hayamim for Shavuot Day…page 6

Taking the Crown: Seder Tikkun Leil Shavuot …page 7

Readings for Beresheet…..page 8

Mikveh Meditations….page 23

Meditations for Morning Meal… page 24

Ben Ish Hai’s request after learning the Tenakh…page 25

[which sections may be repeated at the morning meal with #1 above];

The 613 mitzvot read after the Tenakh sections….page 28

The Eyn Yaakov Shabbat 86-89 for Shavuot …page 46

The Midrash Rabbah Parshat Yitro….page 58

Zohar selections:

Emor 97….page 64

Beresheet 8….page 65

Mishpatim 122…page 66

R. Yitzchak Schwartz’s 32 approaches to learning Torah….page 70

HaRav Ariel Bar Tzaddok’s meditation….page 74

Complete Torah Learning for Shavuot Night

Ari'zal · Ben Ish Hai · Eyn Yaakov · HaRav Ariel Bar Tzaddok · Jewish · Kabbalah · Meditation · Midrash · Mikveh · R. Yitzchak Schwartz · Sefirot · Shavuot · Tikkun · Zohar

B”H

By Kabbalist Rav Yitzchak Schwarts

1. The essence and power of grieving over the loss of the Holy Temple

We are less than 2 days away from  Tisha B’av—the day of the destruction of both Temples

[and a number of other catastrophic events]….The question that keeps coming up every year is,

‘How can we mourn over something that we never have known or experienced?’

The intensity of grief that we experience over anything or over anyone that we have lost, is directly proportional to the degree that we knew, felt, loved and were connected to that person . Therefore the challenge in the grieving process over the loss of our Holy Temples,  is to explore what it was that we had, and that we lack, now  that they are gone.

We need to understand that the the grieving that we do, serves a crucial purpose. As opposed to just grieving over the loss in order to heal ourselves and to give proper respect to that which is lost to us—-as is normally the case in grieving,  here our purpose in grieving is to BRING BACK TO LIFE THE OBJECT OF OUR GRIEF!

With this approach, we can understand and fulfill what our Sages say, ”Those who mourn for the destruction [of Jerusalem...], merit to see her [Jerusalem's] happiness”……..The true mourning process is itself right now, the catalyst, for the ultimate joy of it’s being rebuilt.

YEARNING FOR THE BEIT HAMIKDASH [meditations and prayers]

2. The Return Home

Know that one of the main purposes that the Creator created the universe for, was so that He should have a ‘Dira B’Tachtonim’–literally a dwelling place in this lower World—-which incudes a dwelling place inside of each one of us, as well as a physical home on earth ”…in the place of His choosing…”—namely Jerusalem…….

Know that this same city of Jerusalem, even when it is not in a state of it’s  full expression, as it will be when the Holy Temple will be rebuilt and functioning, nevertheless , even now , it is the city that Hashem’s prescence is felt , more than any other city on earth…….

As a direct result of this indwelling, Jerusalem is, was and aloways will be the central focus of our people [and of the entire world]…..Know that we pray for Jerusalem’s wellbeing in all of our fixed prayers and in our blessing after meals….We place our yearning for Jerusalem above our highest joys—in impassioned declarations at the pinnacle of our wedding ceremonies, as well as on the walls of our homes [in the form of a corner of one of the walls  being left unpainted]………

We are in love with Jerusalem………We face it’s direction when we pray…..We yearn to be at the Kotel/Western Wall—the Holy remnant of the outer wall of the Temple complex….Many of us make our political choices on the basis of the candidate’s level of consideration for the wefare of Jerusalem…….So Jerusalem is not only the ‘so-called Home for Hashem,–but for us as well…………………

Know that when Jerusalem is fully actualized, through having the Holy temple built up and functioning in it’s midst, at a time when our people have come back home and at a time when our Righteous Mashiach is alive and well and  fully functioning—-at that time, our people’s historical marriage with Hashem will be completely consumated and realized—–whereas in any and every historical setting where we lack this reality, we find ourselves steeped in Exile—and to the extent of our being in exile, to that extent, we are separated from our groom, our husband—our G-d—-along with all of the pain and heartache that a wife and husband feel upon being apart…….

Know that our national return to our married partner, to our Holy Home of Jerusalem, with it’s Temple intact—-is actually a return to ourselves—-to our fully expressed status of being ”A Nation of Priests”, ”A Light unto the Nations”, a nation of scholars and Prophets—a nation that returns to being it’s fully glorious self.

A prayer for our return home;

Our Merciful father

We grieve for all that we have lost

We grieve, but with a grieving

that is full of trust and hope—

a trust that our grieving will be

transformed into pure joy—

a joy that comes when our prayers our answered and

our dreams are fulfilled

But most important, Hashem

We yearn for your Prescence

here on earth

in the Place that

You have chosen to Dwell

from time immemorial

Bring us all home Dear Lord,

Bring us all back home to Jerusalem

to the place that we have

never stopped loving and longing for

in every prayer

in every major event

of our lives

Return us to the Jerusalem

that shines in her full glory

to the Jerusalem of today

that is being transformed

into the ultimate Jerusalem

of tomorrow

with her Prophets

and her Scholars

and her Priests

and her Mashiach

and her Holy Temple

all shining forth

with the brightest

of Divine Light

a light that lights up

all the darknesses

of the entire world

Bring us home

our G-d and G-d of our fathers

Bring us back

to the home of our youth

bring us to a home where we know

that all that really counts is

to be with You

in all ways always

Bring us Home

to ourselves

to our fully expressed

fully blossomed

glorious selves

Open up the wellsprings of Jerusalem

inside of our hearts and souls

for all this

and more than we can express

we ask you, Dear G-d

to bring us home!!

3. The Unifying Principle

Know that Jerusalem , even in it’s present not-yet-fully-realized-state [all the more so , in it's realized state with the HolyTemple] is the ultimate unifier….It’s very name indicates this–’Yerushalayim’  which comprises the 2 words , ‘Yire Shalem ‘ meaning complete seeing, or the ability to hold in one’s perspective anything and it’s opposite, and everything in-between, at the same time……The more classic etymology of the name is the City of Peace—a city representing the ideal of peace, at the same time that historically, it is one of the bloodiest, most war ravaged spots on the globe—-a classic illustration of Jerusalem’s harmony of opposites….Similarly, it brings together many peoples of the globe as well as many outlooks of life….Most important, it is the unifier of spirituality, infinity, eternity and Divinity—of all of these, together with their opposites—physicality, finiteness, temporality as well as the mundane………..

As is known Kabbalistically, that  which unifies disparate elements, is that which signifies beauty—-thus our Sages state that out of the 10 measures of beauty that have been given to the world, 9 of them were given to Jerusalem……..

Know that Jerusalem’s [and especially the Holy Temple's] power to harmonize and unite —-qualifies Jerusalem  to serve as the focal point of global rectification and perfection—-The Holy Temple generates and reverberates  physical and spiritual sustenance to the entire world, and alternatively, the physical and the spiritual realms are reflected in the corresponding state or level of the Holy Temple…..Thus, the 1st Temple–the Temple built by King Solomon, radiated one of the highest spiritual auras in history—with incredible levels of Proohecy and open miracles–which reflected the state or level of the Jews and the entire world at that time…..The level dropped a number of notches in the 2nd temple, and will reach it’s highest peak in the3rd Temple, never to fall again……

Know that this great concentration of harmony, will qualify Jerusalem to serve as the Universal focus of all of mankind —as is explicitly elaborated upon in all of the writings of the Prophets…….This Universal harmony, will bring along with it, world peace, world joy and world spiritual elevation—-where one and all will seek Hashem , to know His ways with all of their might…….

And ultimately this world consciousness will usher in a new and very different era or world order, where no longer will people be driven to perfect themselves and all which is deficient, but rather , they will be driven to seek out Divine Unification..ie…the ability to see with ever-increasing clarity —that there is nothing else in reality, but Hashem!!

a prayer for accessing  the unification consciousness of Jerusalem

Master of the Universe

We come before You

with a broken heart

and a scattered sense of self

Please heal us

Please reunify us

Please return us

to our city of complete – seeing Yerushalayim,

so that we can be whole again,

so that we can harmonize together

all that is disconnected so that

we can attach ourselves and all that is temporal in our lives,

all that is mediocre and stuck and petty in our lives to

all that is infinite all that is supernatural all that is eternal

and all that is Divine

Return us to all this through the unifying power of Jerusalem—

the upper , heavenly Jerusalem

together with the lower earthly Jerusalem

Reveal to us the total beauty that Jerusalem contains

the essence of beauty

The beauty of The song of the Levites

Then song that melted and transformed

the hearts of all who heard it

The beauty of the Divine Service and

the wisdom and the Prophecy

that could be tangibly felt and

tasted nowhere else like in Jerusalem

Dear Creator of the Universe and

of all mankind,

Return to us the ability to live the daily

miracles of Jerusalem

and the tangible revelation of

Your Holy Presence

Usher us into the time that

all of Your Prophets spoke about

where all people will

look to Jerusalem for their

physical and spiritual wellbeing

for it’s supernal light to banish all of their

various forms of darkness

for it’s healing to heal their bodies and souls

for it’s concentration of Divine Prescence

to serve as the focal point

of everyone’s motivation and occupation

—an occupation that will no longer

be concerned with so much with survival and money,

but rather with knowing You

and knowing that there is

nothing else besides You

May it be your will

that the words of our mouths

and the meditations of our hearts

find favor in Your eyes

our G-d, our Rock and our Redeemer

Amen

Great teaching on Tisha B’Av by Reb Shlomo Carlebach

Beit HaMikdash · Churban · Jerusalem · Jewish · Kabbalah · Meditation · Prayer · Shekhinah · Temple · Tisha B'av · Yerushalayim

Tefillah at the Kotel

Tefillah is extremely potent spiritual tool, however like every tool it needs proper tuning and usage skills – that’s what we’ll try to cover in this posting.

There is a tremendous amount of literature dealing with the topics of prayer and meditation, however there is a lot of ambiguity in the meaning people give to those terms.

Here is the Wiki definitions:

“Prayer is a form of religious practice that seeks to activate a volitional connection to some greater power in the universe through deliberate practice”

“Meditation is a holistic discipline by which the practitioner attempts to get beyond the reflexive, “thinking” mind into a deeper state of relaxation or awareness”

Those definitions might be culturally accurate but they give little insight into the principles of how Tefillah and Meditation work.

The working definitions that help us would be:

“Prayer is an active act of changing the reality through changing yourself”

This definition is the resolution of the Paradox of the Prayer.

The paradox is frequently presented as this argument:

“If G-d knows what’s good for me, he will give it to me anyway as loving Father would – why would I need to pray? On the other hand, if something is not good for me, he won’t give it to me anyway even if I ask for it, so why pray?”

This simplistic approach doesn’t take into account that our life is a reflection of who we are on all levels of our soul and our body; our experience is a mirror of our entire self, which is the sum of all levels of our consciousness.

Since Hashem reflects to us exactly who we are, the way to change our reality is to change ourselves. The Change takes energy – the deeper is the level of the change, the more energy it takes.

Tefillah, prayer, is the primary tool for any change, spiritual and physical.

In order to use Tefillah, we need to focus and channel energy along the pathway of our desire, desire to change ourselves.

So our desires define the channels along which the energy of the Tefillah is directed and flow, the more refined and holy are the desires, the deeper and more elevated will be the change.

Ideally, during Tefillah our Higher Self, our soul takes over and gives us the direction to pray.

This is the meaning of short verse from Tehillim (51:17) we say before the Amidah prayer:

“Hashem, open my lips that my mouth may declare your praise”.

Our Lower Self (body/nefesh) supplies the energy for the Tefillah, our Higher Self gives us the desire/direction, and the process works in the unison towards the same goal of elevating the world, changing all of “me” and all of reality.

In a wider sense we can view “me” as the handle to the reality. Since everything is connected, our self is an integral part of the entire creation and the entry point into all levels of existence.

This is another perspective why changing the “self” is the only way to change the reality:

We can’t open a door by banging our head against the wall (unfortunately that’s how most people are trying to change the reality), we have to find the door (realize there is a proper way of changing the reality – Tefillah), grasp/turn the handle (learn to use Tefillah dynamics), open the door and come through.

The energy for Tefillah sometimes might come from above as well – particularly on Moadim and Hagim – Jewish holidays, so we can use the tremendous wave of holiness descending on those days to power up our Tefillah. Every special time (Moed) has it’s own energy flavor and helps to rectify/change the respective area of our soul (Pesach supplies energy of freedom, Shavuot is great for “upgrading” to higher level of consciousness, Succot allows us to achieve the state of joy, etc. )

Speaking about receiving energy from above, brings us to the second part of the whole -

Meditation and the role it plays. Without getting into the definitions and semantics of what word “meditation” means to different people, we’ll say that meditation is conducive to entering into the state of internal balance, the state of being connected to the subconscious part of mind, state of being nullified and open to receive from above.

If Tefillah can be very forceful, pushing and channeling energy with one’s will,

This state of meditation is completely opposite – it doesn’t allow any tension or forcefulness, it’s completely let go, opened and relaxed, like a flower under the sun,  all one’s body, mind and soul tuned in to receive.

It is said in Gemora that Chassidim Rishonim (Early Saints) would spend three hours each prayer service:

An hour for Pre-Tefillah meditation, an hour for the Tefillah itself, and an hour for after-Tefillah meditation. If we view meditation as the “recharge” operation and Tefillah as the energy-spending act, it is very probable that Chassidim Rishonim would accumulate energy before the Tefillah and restore it afterwards.

Hence Tefillah and Meditation have been two inseparable practices in Jewish tradition from the ancient times; those two are as breathing in and breathing out, being two sides of the same coin. Tefillah is working according to the male principle (in Kabbalistic definition), actively changing reality, Meditation according to female, passively receiving energy (to beused for the active stage). When one’s Tefillah/Meditaton is structured according to this male/female dynamic, the result is harmonious spiritual growth.

One of the reasons for the tremendous power of Tehillim (Psalms), is that they seamlessly combine both modes. They draw the energy from the spiritual realm and this energy is channeled towards the target of reading the Tehillim (being another person or situation).

Most people however have emphasis over one or another mode, frequently not even realizing the second mode even exists. So the neglected mode is happening subconsciously somewhere on the background, which greatly slows down one’s spiritual growth.

One has to be aware of this male/female dynamic to feel when is the right time for which stage. The high-energy stage is asking for the male Tefillah mode and energy-depleted or mellower state is conducive to the female Meditation mode.

Connection · Energy · Hitbodedut · Ish Tam · Jewish · Meditation · Prayer · Psalms · Tefillah · Tehillim

Compiled by Rav Rahmiel Drizin

R. Eli Mansour writes:The three-week period between Shiva Asar Be’Tamuz and TishaB’Ab is known as “Ben Ha’mesarim,” during which we observecertain practices to mourn the destruction of the Bet Ha’mikdash.The Arizal (Rabbi Yishak Luria, 1534-1572) wrote that it is properduring this period for “Hasidim Ve’anshe Ma’ase” (particularlypious and devoted people) to recite each day the “Tikun Rahel”section of the “Tikun Hasot” prayer, which us printed in manySiddurim. The “Tikun Rahel” contains many verses describing thedestruction of the Bet Ha’mikdash, and its recitation thus helps puta person in the proper frame of mind for this period of mourning.Many recite this service each night throughout the year as part ofthe “Tikun Hasot” prayer, but the Arizal held that it is proper torecite it as well every afternoon during the three weeks betweenShiva Asar Be’Tamuz and Tisha B’Ab. The recitation should takeplace from Hasot (midday as defined by Halacha) until the pointof “Minha Ketana” in the late-afternoon hours. This practice isalso mentioned by the Hida (Rabbi Haim Yosef David Azulai,1724-1806), in his works Yosef Ometz and More Be’esba.Hacham Ben Sion Abba Shaul (Israel, 1924-1998) ruled that oneshould not recite “Tikun Rahel” on days marking joyous occasions,such as on Friday afternoon, when we prepare to welcome theShabbat, as well as Shabbat itself. It should likewise be omittedon Rosh Hodesh Ab and on Ereb Rosh Hodesh Ab. On days whena person omits Tahanun due to a personal celebration, such asa Mohel (person performing a circumcision), a Sandak (one whoholds the child during circumcision) and the father of a child onthe day of a circumcision, one should omit “Tikun Rahel,” as well.The festive nature of these occasions requires omitting the somberrecitation of “Tikun Rahel,” which, as mentioned, speaks of thetragedy of the Temple’s destruction.Furthermore, one should not recite “Tikun Rahel” during theafternoon of Tisha B’Ab, when we begin turning our attentionaway from mourning and toward our hopes and anticipation ofredemption. Since at this time we focus on the prospect ofredemption rather than on the tragedy of the destruction, it isinappropriate to recite “Tikun Rahel.”One should not mistakenly think that this practice is reserved forKabbalists or great scholars. Reciting “Tikun Rahel” during thethree weeks is a most beneficial practice for all people, as it setsthe mood and puts one in the proper mindset for the period ofmourning. Reading these verses can be very inspiring and bringa person to a greater appreciation of the tragedy of the Temple’sdestruction, and to a more profound sense of loss. It should benoted that during the three weeks in Yeshivat Porat Yosef, afterthe first learning session in the early afternoon all the students siton the floor and recite “Tikun Rahel.” This is thus a practice thatall people should observe, in order to enhance one’s awareness ofthe immense tragedy of the Hurban (destruction).

See here the complete Tikun

Here are Kavanot of Amidah Beyn HaMetzarim

Ari'zal · Hurban · Jewish · Kavanot · Meditation · Prayer · Psalms · Tefillah · Tehillim · Tikkun · Tikun Hatzot · Tikun Rahel · Tisha B’Ab

Torah Scroll

This is Shavuot Learning Compilation
by HaRav Rachmiel Hayyim Drizin:

Dear Teachers, students, readers, friends!

Enclosed please find a veritable buffet of Shavuot treats, for the first time compiled in English to this author’s knowledge. The Torah is likened to milk, and our prayer is that the materials here are nourishing to your mind and your soul. Here we have provided:

(1) The translation of the Ben Ish Hai’s Zohar collection to be learned at the Shavuot meals;
(2) The Order of the Tikkun Leil Shavuot and intentions for Mikvah and the morning meal;
(3) The translation of the Ben Ish Hai’s Request to be said after learning the Tenakh, which sections may be repeated at the morning meal with #1 above;
(4) The translation of the 613 mitzvot read after the Tenakh sections;
(5) The Eyn Yaakov Shabbat 86-89 for Shavuot translated;
(6) The Midrash Rabbah Parshat Yitro translated; and
(7) The translations of the Zohar sections read after this, plus the original text for
-Emor 97
-Beresheet 8
-Mishpatim 122

As a brief introduction, the Ari’zal writes that one who does not sleep the night of Shavuot and toils in Torah is assured to live out the year and no harm will occur to him. Shulhan Arukh with Mishnah Brurah 494:1 There is a compilation of torah learning known as “Tikkun Lay’l Shavuot” which has the Zohar and the writings of The Ari’zal as its source, and many have the minhag to say/learn this on Shavuot night. Kaf Hachaim 106:7, Lev Dovid L’Hachidah. This compilation can be purchased at most Hebrew Book stores. We follow the Sefardic custom. Traditional Kabbalah holds that women should not say the “Tikkun Lay’l Shavuot”. However, some say that a woman who counted all the days of Sefirat Ha’omer may learn the portions of the Tikkun which are from Tanakh. S’U Rav Poalim 1SY:9, Kaf HaHaim 106:8

The 24 books of the Torah correspond to the 24 adornments we prepare for the Bride (us Jewish people) for our marriage with Gd under the Huppah (Mount Sinai) with our Ketuba (the Torah). [see below]They are listed in Isaiah 3:18-24 and are: shoe-bells, head scarves, moon-shaped ornaments, necklaces, bracelets, veils, bonnets, leg bands, hair ties, brooches, earrings, rings, nose rings, robes, shawls, kerchiefs, pouches, mirrors, linens, turbans, claps, belts, coiffure, and ornamental belt. We read a portion from each book to bedeck the Bride, which is her Tikkun–repair, hence the name Tikkun Lay’l Shavuot.

It is said that all were healed from the venom of the Garden of Eden Serpent when the Torah was received.

Guess what? The Torah is received anew every year. And if you are present and have learned the Tikkun, you have done a good start to heal yourself in the 24 areas corresponding to the 24 garments. By clothing the Bride we are healing ourselves. Even though it may not manifest externally, Kol Yisrael–the collective soul of Israel–is a very different creature after this Wednesday morn.

Blessings on a night of renewed Torah: the Torah of the body, the Torah of the mind, the Torah of the soul.

For the elevation of the soul of my father Shmuel ben Mosheh Yaakov, the complete healing of body and soul for Devorah Ester Bat Hayyah, and the Yom Huledet Samayah (Shavuot) of Malkah Ester bat Rivka.

Rahmiel Hayyim Drizin
Sivan 5770

Here is another good Reading for Shavuot by Sarah Schneider

Beautiful 1-minute video by LazerBeams

Ari'zal · Garden of Eden · Jewish · Kabbalah · Moed · Prayer · Sefirat Ha'omer · Shavuot · Tikkun · Torah · Zohar

Chodesh Tov!

Rosh Chodesh (Head of the Month) – New Moon Festival is described in the Torah as the day of rejoicing (Bamidbar (Numbers) 10:10) , the time of renewal. Even the word “Chodesh” – month – comes from the root “חדש” – “Chadash” – “NEW”.

Like all “moadim” – appointed times – Rosh Hodesh is the time of opportunity. The deeper meaning of Holidays and special times in Torah is not “commemoration” of some event, but an active opportunity to use the flow of energy that is descending at that time into the physical world. On Rosh Chodesh, the surge of energy that is creating the reality of the upcoming month is available to us – and the way to receive it is to be joyous!

This is because joy causes us to be expansive and enables us to receive Hashem’s light. On the contrary, negative emotions e.g., sadness, make us contract and unable to turn on our “receptive mode”
After ensuring that we do fulfill Torah’s directive to be joyous, we can harness that energy of Rosh Chodesh withTefillah. We can target specific issues in our prayer – because it’s much easier to change the month in its conception.

This can be compared to a garden hose that can create various shapes of a spout by twisting the nozzle – because it’s changing the shape of a jetstream of water in the place where it is forming.

Of course when we talk about “Changing the month”, we mean “Changing ourselves” in order to create the new month of opportunities for spiritual growth. The change is always easier when level of energy is high – if we direct the energy into changing ourselves in Tefillah, it will be used constructively, if we are oblivious to the chance, the energy can even destabilize us or dissipate inconsequentially.

In a sense, Rosh Chodesh is similar to Rosh HaShanah – just with a different scope.

Just like Rosh HaShanah helps us to create a new year full of opportunities, so does Rosh Chodesh give us a chance to break out of our routine and rise up.

Rosh Chodesh is also regarded as a special time for Jewish women. You can read the standard explanation “why?” here, but I think the deeper reason for women’s special connection to Rosh Chodesh, is that our ladies are much more in tune with the dynamics of time and renewal.

Men need rigorous halachic times laws just to be basically in sync with spiritual reality,

while women are exempt from those laws – because they are generally already in tune with times and do not need specific Halachah for that. Interestingly, many Chassidic Tzaddikim were known to be very liberal with halachic times – perhaps because they reached the level of being in tune with times – similar to what most women have from birth.

So while women might be more in tune with the energy of Lunar renewal, men also try to catch up with Kiddush Levanah – another wonderful mitzvah using the Lunar energy of growth and rejuvenation. B’Ezrat Hashem we will discuss it in one of the future postings.

Today is the first day of Sivan and in 4 days we have Chag Shavuot – holiday of receiving the Torah. The energy needed to form the Holiday is also descending today – so we start defining our receiving of the Torah already today!

Good Month Sivan to everyone!

Chassidic · Energy · Halacha · Ish Tam · Jewish · Joy · Kiddush Levanah · Mitzvah · Moed · New Moon · Prayer · Rosh Chodesh · Shavuot · Tefillah · Tzaddik

Mezuzah box with parchment

Mitzvah to hang the mezuzah on the doorpost is one of the 613 mitzvot given in Torah to Jewish people.

Mezuzot are completely amazing creatures – I can’t call them things as they seem to have their own personality and will.

Mezuzah is an energy creature with two-way connection to the area (room or house) that it is protecting -
it infuses the area with energy of holiness and it takes a hit from the negativity that is happening in that room (house). This is a primary reason Mezuzah can become posul (invalid – if even one letter breaks on the parchment it’s written on). If Mezuzah is posul, it not only does not protect, but it projects into reality the very defect that is imprinted into it. That’s why the Halacha is to check mezuzot at least twice in 7 years – some people do it every year.
There is a well known in Rav in Yerushalaim  (Rav Yom Tov) called “Mezuzah-Man” – his interesting ability is to tell people their issues by looking at their mezuzot – because when mezuzah hangs in a house long enough, it takes an imprint of everything that is happening inside (The breaking down is an extreme case when it can’t “hold it” anymore.)
Now interesting discovery I made recently – if the mezuzah is kosher and you channel energy into it (I read Tehillim with my hands on mezuzah and feel the energy flow into the mezuzah), it has tremendous positive impact on the room (and everyone inside) – much more than if you would read Tehillim or channel energy into the people directly. It works like a spiritual amplifier and a battery, so if you “recharge” it daily (or once in a few days – see how long does it “hold the charge” in your case), you can create really powerful healing environment in your house or the room where you live or sleep (I usually do it when kids are asleep – they are most open at the time).

Feeling the energy isn’t a prerequisite however. It’s enough if you focus your attention on mezuzah while reading the Tehillim, or simply focus on it with thoughts of love and affection.

The custom to kiss the mezuzah as we pass through the door accomplishes exactly that – if done properly. In fact this is how I made my discovery – when I asked a question why do we do it? Unfortunately many people barely notice the mezuzah when they enter – we need to give it more of our love and awareness!

Just to mention that in order to work, the mezuzah must be kosher (e.g. written on the parchment by qualified Sofer observing all the Halachic specifications) and bought from a reliable source.

Putting a zerox copy on the doorpost is like taking a picture of the radio-receiver and expecting it to play music. If the radio-receiver is assembled not according to the spec, it simply doesn’t work, or worse, creates distorted sound.

The reason some people go for larger or more beautiful/special mezuzot is that not all kosher mezuzot are created equal. The energetic capacity of the mezuzah depends on the care with which the Sofer writes it, his purity of thought and generally what kind of a person he is. In modern manufacturing-style resale system it’s difficult to ascertain those factors, so most people look at the external things like size, style of the ktav (writing) and beauty of the ktav. Many good mezuzot come with certificate of quality, certifying those parameters. I usually like to go through a few mezuzot on sale, touching them gently and feeling them. I still smile as I recall my latest buy – the mezuzah just didn’t want to leave my hands once I picked it up

I however had seen good results with “recharging” procedure even with regular 12 cm mezuzot – they just need to be real kosher mezuzot.

Hope it helps!

How to Affix a Mezuzah

Practical Spirituality: Touching the Mezuzah

Energy · Halacha · Ish Tam · Jewish · Kosher · Mezuzah · Mitzvah · Sofer · Tehillim

“Ish Tam” – simple, innocent, wholesome man – that’s how Torah calls our forefather Yaakov. “Tam” is also used in Haggadah to describe the third son, where it sometimes interpreted as “simpleton”. However Haggadah gives a key into the real meaning in that context as well:

The third son’s question is “Mah Zot?” – What is that?

Normally in Hebrew we ask “Mah Ze?” – for generic and male subjects.

“Mah Zot?” however signifies female subject – and beautiful explanation tells us that Tam sees Shehinah – Hashem’s presence (which is linguistically and kabbalistically female), however doesn’t exactly understand what he sees…

So our task here is to understand what is that we see… with our eyes and our soul – and use it to fulfill to the best our potential – to get closer to our Source and help our dear brothers and sisters.

Why call the site “Ish Tam” ?

“Ish Tam” – simple, innocent, wholesome man – that’s how Torah calls our forefather Yaakov. “Tam” is also used in Haggadah to describe the third son, where it sometimes interpreted as “simpleton”. However Haggadah gives a key into the real meaning in that context as well:

The third son’s question is “Mah Zot?” – What is that?

Normally in Hebrew we ask “Mah Ze?” – for generic and male subjects.

“Mah Zot?” however signifies female subject – and beautiful explanation tells us that Tam sees Shehinah – Hashem’s presence (which is linguistically and kabbalistically female), however doesn’t exactly understand what he sees…

So our task here is to understand what is that we see… with our eyes and our soul – and use it to reach our goal of coming to this world – to get closer to our Source and help our dear brothers and sisters.

Haggadah · Hebrew · Ish Tam · Jewish · Kabbalah · Passover · Pesach · Torah