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    Hitbodedut - How To

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    Lulo Gpe
    The document provides guidance on the Jewish practice of hitbodedut or Jewish meditation. It discusses how, when, and where to perform hitbodedut, as well as what to focus on during the practice. The key points are: set aside time daily to speak openly with God about whatever is on your heart; the ideal times are at night or early morning when it is quiet; find a private and secluded place like a room, park, or fields; and focus prayers on both spiritual and material concerns in a simple, childlike manner. Consistency is important, practicing hitbodedut every day.

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    Hitbodedut - How To

    Uploaded by

    Lulo Gpe
    140 views3 pages
    The document provides guidance on the Jewish practice of hitbodedut or Jewish meditation. It discusses how, when, and where to perform hitbodedut, as well as what to focus on during the practice. The key points are: set aside time daily to speak openly with God about whatever is on your heart; the ideal times are at night or early morning when it is quiet; find a private and secluded place like a room, park, or fields; and focus prayers on both spiritual and material concerns in a simple, childlike manner. Consistency is important, practicing hitbodedut every day.

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    Hitbodedut - How to

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    Hitbodedut - How to

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    The document provides guidance on the Jewish practice of hitbodedut or Jewish meditation. It discusses how, when, and where to perform hitbodedut, as well as what to focus on during the practice. The key points are: set aside time daily to speak openly with God about whatever is on your heart; the ideal times are at night or early morning when it is quiet; find a private and secluded place like a room, park, or fields; and focus prayers on both spiritual and material concerns in a simple, childlike manner. Consistency is important, practicing hitbodedut every day.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    140 views3 pages

    Hitbodedut - How To

    Uploaded by

    Lulo Gpe
    The document provides guidance on the Jewish practice of hitbodedut or Jewish meditation. It discusses how, when, and where to perform hitbodedut, as well as what to focus on during the practice. The key points are: set aside time daily to speak openly with God about whatever is on your heart; the ideal times are at night or early morning when it is quiet; find a private and secluded place like a room, park, or fields; and focus prayers on both spiritual and material concerns in a simple, childlike manner. Consistency is important, practicing hitbodedut every day.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 3

    Hitbodedut & Jewish Meditation: How To

    written by Chaim Kramer January 24, 2014

    https://breslov.org/hitbodedut-jewish-meditation-how-to/

    How? Set aside time each day to meditate in a room or in the fields. While there, speak out whatever is
    in your heart, with words of grace and supplication. These words should be in the language you normally
    speak, so that you will be able to express yourself as clearly as possible. When you entreat God in the
    language you are used to, the words are closer to your heart and will therefore flow more easily (Likutey
    Moharan II, 25).

    When? The ideal time for hitbodedut is at night, when the world around you is asleep. During the day,
    people are busy rushing after all the material and physical pleasures of this world. Although the night
    time is the best time, every time is a good time. If you can’t get up in the middle of the night for
    hitbodedut, how about trying to find the time to converse with God in the early morning, either before or
    after the morning prayers – before you get caught up in the rush of yet another busy day? And if that’s
    no good, then really any other time is alright. Whenever…wherever…just remember: the quieter the
    better.
    The main factor is consistency. Rabbi Avraham Chazan used to say: Hitbodedut which is consistent
    (every day) is thousands upon thousands of times greater than hitbodedut that is interrupted. (Rabbi
    Eliyahu Chaim Rosen).
    Where? Regarding where to practice hitbodedut, Rebbe Nachman taught that it’s best to find a location
    which is conducive to meditation and which will allow you to concentrate on your words undisturbed. A
    private room is good, a park better, out in the fields or forests still better. In short, the quieter and more
    secluded the place is, the more ideal it is for hitbodedut. But what if you can’t go to a park? Or what if
    you find that whenever you do go, you find yourself concerned for your safety and cannot concentrate
    on the task at hand? Rebbe Nachman said that it is very good to have a special room set aside for Torah
    study and prayer. Such a private room, office or study is especially beneficial for secluded meditation
    and conversation with God. You can also practice hitbodedut under your talit, or even seclude yourself
    with God while in bed under your covers!

    What? Rebbe Nachman teaches: It is good to begin your hitbodedut by saying: Today I am starting to
    attach myself to You! Start anew every day. If yesterday was good, I hope that today will be even better.
    If yesterday wasn’t the way it should have been, well today is a new beginning and it will be good
    (Tzaddik 437). The Rebbe himself would start each day by “placing” the day’s activities in God’s hands,
    asking that he do everything according to God’s will. “This way,” he would say, “I have no worries. I
    rely on God to do as He sees fit” (Rabbi Nachman’s Wisdom 2). Start your day by having hitbodedut
    that everything go according to God’s plan, that you act in accordance with His desire. By doing this,
    your prayers are automatically focused on God’s drawing you closer to Him.
    Rebbe Nachman was once talking to one of his followers about clothing: One must pray for everything.
    If your clothes are torn, pray to God to give you new clothes. Although the main thing to pray for is
    closeness to God, still, you must pray for all your needs, large and small.

    Hitbodedut encompasses the entire spectrum of life: from the simple, daily affairs of man, to the lofty
    spiritual heights to which we aspire. When Rebbe Nachman taught that we need to express ourselves in
    prayer before God for everything we can think of – he meant everything! Whether we need good health
    (and who doesn’t?), success in business and livelihood (and who doesn’t?), help with raising our children
    (and who doesn’t?), caring for elderly (or not so elderly) parents, or whatever our hearts’ desires, we
    must raise our eyes, hearts and mouths in supplication before God. We must ask Him to make sure that
    everything goes alright. If it does, good. If not, pray again. And again. And again. Hitbodedut is not
    something we do once and then stop. Hitbodedut is daily.

    Certainly, a person must focus his prayers on the ultimate goal – serving God. Pray, plead, beg, ask and
    beseech God that He reveal His ways to you, that He show you His mercy, that you merit coming closer
    to Him. Pray that you will be able to perform His will, each mitzvah in its own time. Pray to feel the
    beauty in Torah, pray to feel the sweetness in the mitzvot. Reb Nachman Chazan once labored tirelessly
    to erect Reb Noson’s sukkah. That evening, while sitting in the sukkah, Reb Nachman remarked, “There
    is a different feeling of joy and satisfaction when sitting in a sukkah which one has worked very hard to
    build.” Reb Noson replied, “That may be, but this you haven’t yet tried. Spend an entire day crying out
    to God: Master of the Universe! Let me taste the true taste of sukkah!’ Then see what feelings a person
    can experience in the sukkah” (Aveneha Barzel, p. 52 12).

    Once you grow accustomed to hitbodedut, you’ll begin to see how it’s possible to pray for everything –
    from the most exalted spiritual desires to the most trivial material needs, and everything between. Don’t
    be put off by the following scenario which sometimes happens. There are those who, as they develop
    their hitbodedut, begin to feel awkward about praying for success in business and the like. “Here I am,”
    this person says, “I’m (finally) praying to God, and all I can think about is money?” If it’s not money,
    it’s something else material, and it seems to him that this is not what hitbodedut is all about. Feeling
    guilty, he begins focusing his prayers exclusively on the spiritual. But, because his heart isn’t fully in it,
    his prayers begin to slacken. In time, his hitbodedut might even stop altogether. Regarding this, Reb
    Noson once said: Pray to God for a livelihood. Specifically for livelihood. You’ll probably start feeling
    embarrassed that you’re asking and pleading so much for the material and you’ll eventually pray for the
    spiritual, too (Aveneha Barzel p.49).

    Simply and openly. Rebbe Nachman said to Reb Noson: A person should practice hitbodedut in a
    simple, straightforward manner, as if he were conversing with a close friend (Tzaddik #439; Kokhavey
    Or p.12 #54). Have you ever had a problem which you spoke about to a friend, a true friend? You start
    saying something, this leads to something else, and before you know it you’re revealing the innermost
    secrets of your heart. The words just seem to flow. This is because you’re close to that friend, and you
    see no reason to hold back. Hitbodedut should be the same way:

    Like a child. Rebbe Nachman also drew another analogy concerning hitbodedut. In his desire to make it
    crystal clear how we are to approach this most important practice, he said that it is very good to pour out
    our thoughts before God, like a child pleading before his father. God calls us His children, as is written
    (Deuteronomy 14:1), “You are children to God.” Therefore, it is good to express your thoughts and
    troubles to God like a child complaining and pestering his father (Rabbi Nachman’s Wisdom 7).
    The thing to remember about hitbodedut is this: Choose whatever topic you feel close to at that time. Put
    in whatever feeling you have. Do it daily.

    CHAIM KRAMER

    Chaim Kramer is largely responsible for introducing Rebbe Nachman’s teachings to today’s generation.
    He is a sought-after lecturer on Rebbe Nachman’s teachings by English-speaking congregations around
    the world. Chaim has been the director of the Breslov Research Institute since its inception in 1979. BRI
    has been the main publishing-house for translations of classic and contemporary Breslov books. More
    than 100 titles are currently in print, in English, Hebrew, Russian, Spanish, French, and even Korean.
    Chaim himself, is the author of “Through Fire and Water”, “Crossing the Narrow Bridge”, “Anatomy of
    the Soul”, “This Land is My Land”, and many more titles, as well as annotating the entire 15 volume
    English Edition of Likutei MoHaRan.

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