Hitbodedut
Personal Time With Your Creator
Rabbi Nachman taught
Hitbodedut is higher than ALL
Rabbi Nachman explains that he reached his great levels, and that all righteous sages reached their great levels after a lifetime of practicing speaking directly with the Creator. Rabbi Nachman, after a life of very hard work of dedication to Hashem's path, day and night of emersing himself in holiness and elevation of the Neshama (Soul) over the body. [fasting, freezing Mikvas (spiritual bathing which cleanses the soul...)] And despite being a genius in Torah study of all levels including the secrets of the Kabbalah, he instructed us with one main instruction:
Hitbodedut is higher than ALL
Hitbodedut
means
speaking in solitude with your
Creator.
Rabbi Nachman taught us that we should speak to Hashem as we speak
to a loving father, a true friend, or
a Rabbi – as was the way of our forefathers. You
see Moroccan grandmothers how they can pray for a long time from
their hearts, and cry,
and laugh...
Rabbi
Nachman told us that he is here to remind us of the old ways of our
forefathers...to help us be and feel connected with our Creator
on a personal level, like every Jew is meant to be!.
Where Can You Do This?
Anywhere! In bed under the covers, alone in a room, on the bus, driving the car, even amongst people (there are many creative ways to speak to G-d while around others). Or, as Rabbi Nachman explained is best way – in the forest or field, in nature...In a quiet place, where you are alone and surrounded by G-d’s creation and the whole surroundings help lift you higher...and help open your heart to pray to your Maker..
Entire
books have been written on this practice, explaining how to do
hitbodedut...yet some Rabbis in the Breslov world, strongly oppose this kind of spoon feeding instructions -
because they believe that Rabbi
Nachman did not intend one to be instructed and 'moulded' to a
certain fashion of prayer, and that prayer comes from the heart...and
that all one needs to know when one goes to the field is that
Hashem, the Almighty Creator, our Father is listening to every
word you say!
Rabbi Nachman did however give us general guidelines such as trying to speak even if we feel we have nothing to say, confessing our wrong doings, repeating a certain phrase over and over if that is all we can say, and many more methods.
With
all
that in mind...I
would also like to share my
general suggestions to everyone. I
have found these methods to be very helpful, but obviously they may
not suit everyone.
What I find works is to try and open your heart. Ask Hashem, firstly, to feel that He is listening to you. Say something like: "Hashem, G-d of the world, Creator of all things...please open my heart...put the right words in my mouth.”
Just
speak!
Reach
deep down in your heart. Say
thanks for what you have -
physical,
spiritual, family, health, body and soul, your
senses, and everything you have! Say sorry for what you feel you have
gone against your 'inner self', against ''your mission''...against
the 'higher good'. If
you have
come to the knowledge that
the
Holy Torah is G-d's
will and you feel you have strayed from the path of the just, from
the big things to the little things, reach deep down to say
sorry. Ask Hashem: "Hashem, Hashem! Help me to return to Your
ways...help me get closer to You,
and the ways of truth...to
live a healthy life, for my body and soul, to
always be good to others and to judge them favourably,"
and
so forth...
You
can simple talk, laugh, cry, shout,
beg...whatever
comes up. Ask Hashem:
"Help me fulfil my mission and purpose in life, for which I was created...”
If you are standing at a crossroads, speak to Hashem about
the situation. Tell Hashem...ask for
guidance..."Please Hashem...I
and going through a tough time...please guide me...please show me the
light...and the best path for me. Please
help me make the right decision...help me know what is really good
for me...help me succeed..." and
so forth.
These
are great things,
right?
Hitbodedut helps us connect with The Great Creator – Hashem, on a
very intimate level...and we literally
see miracles in our lives, and feel Hashem's guidance and Divine
Providence.
Every hitbodedut is different, and special, and most times you feel
that your prayers have really been heard. Its a great feeling. Its great therapy!
Have a listen to this real example of Dr. Raz practicing Hitbodedut to get a better idea...
And
if
you're
asking,
“What, He
doesn't know all this? He is Hashem! Knower of all things, of all
hearts!” – then
you can be rest assured that you are not the first to
ask this question :)
There are many answers to this question. Firstly, Hashem loves
us praying to Him, he loves hearing our voices of prayer. As It is
said about our forefather Avraham, who was only granted a child
at the age of a 100, and prayed a lot for an offspring from his wife Sarah for many years. The sages
explain that Hashem yearns
for the prayers
of the righteous. Putting that info together with the words
of Isaiah the prophet "And your nation are all righteous",
that
means that
every one of us is righteous (on
some level) and Hashem loves our prayers!
A few more reasons are that it is known that prayers act in the higher realms to change nature and outcomes of events. Our sages also explain that something that is achieved with prayer is more appreciated afterwards. Also, speaking about things helps get clarity about the issues and expand them within us. And there are many more reasons...depends who you ask!
But
I advise not to ask anyone...except Hashem..and
get out there and start...
Hitbodedut
Just do it!
Best of Success!
Itamar