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DECONSTRUCTING TORAH 14

  MAIN CONCEPTS 1. The Torah of Chesed  (תורת חסד): learning in order to teach others and to share one's knowledge. 2. Four Aspects of Humility (ארבע בחינות שפלות): a person  should humble themselves in relation to those higher than them, those lower then them, and those on the same level. In addition, they should consider their own level to be less then it objectively is. 3. Palga (פלגא): a person who is as yet far from holiness, who has to undergo multiple tests and conquer many obstacles before he merits to come close to Hashem. 4. Soiled Garments (הבגדים הצואים): the consequences of one's sins that create barriers and obstacles, making it very difficult to come close to holiness. SPIRITUAL GOALS 1. To start feeling part of the world, otherwise the idea of "drawing peace into the world" feels totally irrelevant. 2. To feel at peace with my situation . 3. To look at prayer as the main and the most meaningful effort that I have to expend in any situation. 4. To ma

LIVING TORAH 8: STEP BY STEP

  I RECEIVING NEW RUACH CHAIM TO FILL ALL ONE'S LACKS . 1. Sighing (especially during prayer) about everything that is lacking in one's avodas Hashem , as well as about one's urgent physical needs. 2. Connecting to the tzaddik through whom one receives new ruach chaim to fill these lacks. II  MAKING SURE THIS STATE OF SHLEIMUS (WHOLENESS) LASTS . 1. Developing patience , so that one's lacks can be filled through the ruach chaim d'kedusha that truly lasts, and not through the ruach searah (storm wind) that is very mightly but dissipates quickly, leaving even more lacks in tis wake. 2. Learning Halacha in order to know what is permitted and what is forbidden, and, through this, separating the good from the bad in one's soul.  3. Praying to Hashem , asking Him to merit understanding the Halacha correctly. This form of prayer - about being able to understand and fulfil the Torah - is higher than the prayer about filling one's lacks that is mentioned in the

LIVING TORAH 25 TINYANA: "THE GREATNESS OF HISBODEDUS"

I. SPIRITUAL GOALS . 1. " Going with the Torah " : this should be a dynamic process, not just learning, but doing, living, and changing. 2. " The Ripple Effects of Hisbodedus " : -  b eing happy throughout the day , as a result of spending an hour a day in hisbodedus. - maintaining the feeling of closeness to Hashem  felt during hisbodedus during the entire day, which should result in a high level of emuna . 3. " Mind Over Matter " :  - learning to devote the main body of my hisbodedus to asking for the spiritual and not for the material (based on "Likutei Halochos", "Hilchos Rosh Chodesh" 5). - becoming willing  to sacrifice for the sake of spirituality and to pay for spiritual advances with material losses and inconveniences. II. SPIRITUAL PRACTICES . 1. General Practices . a)  Giving  tzedakah at the beginning of this new project. to "open the door" into it (based on Torah 4 Tinyana). b)  Saying a prayer on this Torah f

LIVING TORAH 73 TINYANA

I SPIRITUAL GOALS . 1.  " Going  with the Torah " : this should be a dynamic process, not just learning, but doing, living, and changing. 2.  Discovering what my personal  teshuvah   should consist  o f . 3. Finding my individual path in avodas Hashem according to the root of my neshama (as explained in " Hishtapchus HaNefesh " #1 based on this Torah). 4. Overcoming the obstacles that are keeping me back if I feel that my individual gate remains closed. 5. Accessing the advice coming from the Fiftieth Gate of Kedusha (based on " Likutei Halochos ", " Hilchos Krias Shema 5 ") that can help me both to find my path and to navigate challenging situations in my personal life. 6.  Leaving my personal exile, so that my life becomes more productive and meaningful, giving me greater closeness to Hashem (based on " Likutei Tefilos "). 7. In my prayers and hisbodedus, trying to concentrate on requests for the spiritual,  like Dovid HaMelech d

LIVING TORAH 22 - STEP BY STEP

 I NAASEH AND NISHMAH . 1. Naaseh : keeping all the Breslov practices that are already a regular part of your life; a sample list can be found here: https://likuteishiurim.blogspot.com/2022/11/aprogram-of-daily-practical-spiritual.html. 2. Nishmah : a) choose some new level that is currently above you but that you really like to reach, for example, "going with the Torahs" in "Likutei Moharan" the way Rabbeinu intended; b) regularly ask Hashem in your hisbodedus to help you achieve this new level. 1. Try to determine how exactly this brazenness manifests itself in your case: powerful physical desires, unhelpful fears and worries, depression, constant dissatisfaction, emotional hunger, etc. This will help you to identify all this as something you want to conquer and so to avoid getting drawn into this emotions and desires. II CONQUERING BRAZENNESS OF THE BODY: 1.  with sounds of holiness :  a) singing; b) sighing over your low spiritual level; c) dancing, particular

LIVING TORAH 31, THE WAY RABBEINU WANTED

  THE END GOALS . 1. Meriting  kisufin tovim (good desires and yearnings), which will rectify all that goes wrong in our lives (this idea is based on "Likutei Halochos", "Hodaya 5"). 2. Achieving the level of  "sustenance in the aspect of lechem hapanim " (holy bread in the Bais HaMikdash ) where a person no longer perceives that they have to leave the realm of kedushah  in order to have what to live on. THE REQUISITE PRACTICES . 1. Giving tzedakah :  a) to poor people for their Shabbos needs; b) before traveling. 2. Celebrating and observing Shabbos : a) by preparing special food and clothing; b) by being joyous; c) be being careful to observe all the relevant halochos ; d) by talking differently than on the weekdays; e) by bringing the holiness of Shabbos into the six days of the week. 3. Developing emunah : a) that Hashem created the world and continues to govern it with Hashgacha Pratis ; b) that when we give tzedakah to a poor person, we're in f

LIVING TORAH 25 , THE WAY RABBEINU WANTED

"All of the Rebbe's Torahs contain awesome depth, plumbing the deepest mysteries and loftiest secrets. Still, he emphasized that the main thing was their simple meaning, and that we should put this into practice as he taught." ( Sichos HaRan  131). I GENERAL PRACTICES . - Saying a prayer from "Likutei Tefilos" on this Torah. - Doing hisbodedus : asking Hashem to help me practically fulfil this Torah to the best of my ability. (Rabbi Ozer Bergman's book "Where Earth and Heaven Kiss" has a chapter "Turning Torah into Tefilah" (p. 176)  with a very clear explanation of how to actually do this.) II SPECIFIC PRACTICES . This list is based on Torah 25, "Likutei Halochos", and "Likutei Tefilos".. 1. Working with the Medameh  (Imagination) : a) overcoming its negative aspects: fighting illusions, compulsive thoughts, and physical desires that are too strong and keep me away from the spiritual; b) utilizing its positive aspects