The Course in Jewish healing                       May 2008

A quick tour through The Four Worlds of Jewish Mysticism

The World of Action-Earth

The World of Formation-Water

The World of Creation-Fire

The World of Emanation-Air

Understanding Healing
Healing derives from within, not from others or outside sources. Your physician, your psychotherapist cannot really know what you feel inside; only you know. That is why you must become responsible for your own healing. Health care professionals can only inform and guide you, but you must make the ultimate choices as to how your healing will proceed. You have to work at your own pace, at your own level, rather than having anyone tell you what you should be doing or where you should be. Healing takes place in life, not in a health care professional's office. Your own daily life experiences are your best teachers, only if you pay attention to what each momentary occurrence is trying to tell you.
Psychoneuroimmunology
Jewish healing can assist in the effectiveness of professional medical or psychological treatment. Many doctors today recognize the efficacy of alternative medicine, the combination of holistic therapies combined with standard medical or psychological procedures.
From "A Framework for Jewish Healing" the notion of psychoneuroimmunology, a relatively new field of medicine that claims the mind provides numerous healing benefits for the body, may have become evident. Spirituality begins in the mind through the power of the imagination and from there filters its way deep into the spiritual dimension. Spirit can be compared to the operating system of your computer; it's responsible for running all the software. Like the computer, we too are programmed to function physically, emotionally and mentally; if there are glitches in our software, some of the programs may not run so well.
Stress
One of the principal causes of human software malfunction is stress. A certain amount of stress is beneficial; it keeps us on our toes. But an over abundance causes the "fight or flight" response to kick in and places many bodily functions in overdrive. Chemical changes occur that create imbalances in our psychophysical makeup which lays the groundwork for illness. Jewish healing attempts to bring spirit into our lives to untie the knots that bind us.

The Four Worlds of Jewish Mysticism
The Zohar, the authoritative text of Jewish mysticism teaches the concept of universes or worlds which contains the fundamentals of Jewish healing. These worlds, which are nothing more than shades of energy that span the boundaries between heaven and earth, have been understood by ancient civilizations since the dawn of mankind. The Jewish worlds were limited to four--other cultures ascribe other numbers--and these correspond to the ancient natural elements of earth, water, fire and air. In Judaism they are the Worlds of Assiah (action), Beriah (formation), Yetsirah (creation) and Atzilut (emanation). These four also relate to the yod, heh, vav, heh; God's ineffable name.
Each session of our healing journey will take us through each of the four worlds. The element of earth relates to the body and its sensations; water pertains to every facet of our emotions and relationships. Fire is the energy of the mind, like those electrical impulses that go whizzing around inside our brain; and air, with its delicate, vaporous characteristics brings to mind our spiritual nature.
Our definition of health assumes that each of the four elements needs to be in balance with one another. Either excess or a deficiency of any one of the four contains the cause of illness. In other words, a disease state is an imbalance of the body/mind continuum, otherwise known as the four worlds.
 

Our Goal For May 2001 
Understanding Feelings
In order to heal your emotions, it is necessary to understand them. Emotions are sensations we feel in our bodies. The next time you become emotionally upset about something, take a few moments for time out and notice precisely what's happening. You'll soon find that you're experiencing tension or pressure somewhere in your body. One way to deal the the feeling is to practice breathing deeply into the feeling until it subsides. What we call emotional pain is merely the depressing thought that the feeling or the cause of the pain will never go away; it's a thought. Another way to deal with painful emotions is to talk about them to a trusted, non-judgmental listening friend or therapist. You will find relief when you express your emotions as feelings and not as thoughts. If for, example, if you found out that a friend said something hurtful behind your back, you might report it by saying, "Sarah said something that really upset me"; that's a thought. if, however you said, "What Sarah said made me feel unworthy", you're reporting the feeling of unworthiness. Browse through this list of feeling words to become acquainted with some of them. The list is not complete but it could give you an idea of how to substitute feeling words for thoughts.
 

afraid	angry	anxious	ashamed	confused	dependent	disgusted	incompetent	worried
disappointed	fearful	frightened	helpless	hopeless	hurt	inadequate	vulnerable	doormat
incapable	lonely	mad	outraged	powerless	resentful	sad	forlorn	used
scared	terrified	unacceptable	unlovable	worried	frustrated	abused	pessimistic	distanced
used	joyous	glad	empty	guilty	insecure	unworthy	nervous	despairing

 

A Journey Through Four Worlds

Disclaimer:
In no way should the exercises or ideas expressed on these pages be a substitute for proper medical or
psychotherapeutic treatment.

This month we continue work on the Four Worlds. It is not necessary to start at the beginning; you could start
anywhere that's most comfortable, doing any one or all of the exercises in each World.
When working on any of the Worlds, it is important to try to keep your body as relaxed as possible and
breathe deeply. It could also be helpful to keep your eyes closed. We suggest you print out these pages to
work from. Some people prefer to record the exercises on a tape recorder, so your own voice provides the
necessary guidance. Healing work takes place on all levels concurrently. Remember God is the healer; we are his
partners in the process. It is our own responsibility to do the necessary work.
 

Earth [top of page]                                The World of Assiyah                                                     The Body
This exercise and those to follow in future months are designed to bring renewed awareness to the body. In
the process of growing up we lost much of the sensitivity of our bodies. As infants we relied heavily of
physical sensations, like wet, hungry or uncomfortable. The years of intellectual education has brought our
focus into our minds--we learned to think matters through--while leaving the sensations of the body behind.
The body is our source of spiritual and healing wisdom. Getting in touch with our bodies brings up clues to
what's gone wrong, physically or emotionally. Our emotions, for example, are actually feelings--sensations
we experience somewhere in our bodies. Spiritually our bodies live in the present moment where we are
most capable of encountering God, our source of healing energy.

     - Being aware of your body means having your attention fully in your body so that mind and body
     become united.
     - Being aware of your body quiets your mind and reawakens your senses. As you become more and
     more aware, your self-confidence grows.
     - With greater awareness of the body, you can learn to take more responsibility for your own well
     being.

for May
Body Scanning
1. Close your eyes. Start with your toes and move up your body. Ask yourself, "Where am I tense?" When ever you discover a tense area, exaggerate it slightly so you can become aware of it.
2. Be aware of the muscles in your body that are tense.  Then for example, say to yourself, "I am tensing my neck muscles. I am hurting myself. I am creating tension in my body."
3. Note that all muscular tension is self-produced.
4. At this point, be aware of any life situation that may be causing the tension in your body and what you can do to change it .

Brachah for healing the body: Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe who heals all flesh and acts wondrously.

Water [top of page]                                             The World of Beriah                                     Emotions
Water is one of the purifying forces in Jewish literature. Notice the Torah passages that relate to purification by water (The Flood, The Parting of the Sea and the ritual of mikveh).  Water element issues relate to relationships, sexuality, reproductive or urinary disorders. If you have concerns in any of these areas, it could be helpful to concentrate your healing efforts in this direction.

This month we explore self esteem. Positive self esteem is our deepest psychological need. Self esteem is the experience of being competent to deal with the challenges of life and of being deserving of happiness.  Negative beliefs about yourself  trigger negative feelings. If what you believe about yourself  is in conflict with reality, you are bound to react with painful emotions. Poor self esteem are mind patterns that we have learned in growing up, but it is possible to exchange old, useless ideas with ones that are more in touch with reality. These are a few examples of beliefs that you may have learned from your childhood.
 

How does your belief system injure your self esteem? Make up a similar list of your own beliefs.

Learning more about yourself is an important step in the process of healing. Through deep personal introspection, you can begin to recognize behavior patterns in your life that may be inappropriate which may prevent you from living your life fully. You can discover areas in your life that needs change? It may be helpful to keep a journal of your responses to these questions and those that will appear in future months.

for May
Self Esteem
1. What sense of self worth did your parents offer you?
2. How did your parents handle matters when you made mistakes?
3. How did you deal with mistakes you made?
4. Who in your early years believed in your intelligence? In your goodness?
5. What do you do to hurt your self-esteem?
6. What do you do that causes you to like yourself most?
7. Can you say "no" when you want to say "no"? Or "yes" when you want to say "yes"?
8. Can you take full responsibility for every word you say or write?
9. How do you contribute to your own self sabotage? How do you obstruct your own success?
10. How do you make yourself helpless? What's so good about making yourself helpless?
11. Could you take full responsibility for your life? Could you accept the right to be happy?
10. Could you wake up to the possibilities of life? Could you allow old wounds to fade away?
11. Could you stop blaming others and start living?
12. Can you assume the courage to honor your own life?
13. Can you accept and acknowledge your feelings rather than pretending you don't feel them?
14. Do you deny or disown who you are? Can you learn to accept yourself as a valuable person?
15. Can you learn to accept your feelings whether you like them or not? Can you accept the different parts of yourself?

Review these questions again and note which answers create some negative feeling in your body. The ones that create the sensation are probably the ones that need to be changed. You can make the changes by sitting with the feeling a few minutes, breathing deeply and repeat the difficult questions as often as you feel necessary. In time the negative feelings will subside and the belief will no longer have hold on you.

Brachah for healing the emotions: Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe who gives strength to the weary.

Fire [top of page]                                 The World of Yetzirah                                                    Thought
Fire is one of the purifying and transforming forces in Jewish literature. Notice the Torah passages that relate to purification by fire (The Sacrifical system and the burnt offerings). Fire element issues relate to power, control, powerlessness, the digestive system... If you have concerns in any of these areas, it could be helpful to concentrate your healing efforts in this direction.
Light is a very effective means to heal physical ailments. Before you begin, there are two preparatory aspects you need to keep in mind. The first is to activate your source of  healing power and the second is to is to determine what your ailment actually feels like. This doesn't have to be a clear mental decision, a vague impression will do fine. Create a relaxed atmosphere for yourself before beginning any visualization whether for relief from mental or physical ailments.

Find your source of healing energy. God is the Jewish source of healing energy, but it's difficult, if not impossible, to visualize an inexpressible, transcendent God. We could however devise a symbolic image to serve our purposes. Images such as a brilliant light, a laser beam, a golden shimmering ball, a fully lit menorah or even a wise old counselor, could work well. It is important as a first step to design an image of healing energy that feels right to you.

for May

Self-Forgiveness
Self-forgiveness is an essential part of the healing process, because it opens the heart with self-love and healing energy.
Focus your attention way above the top of your head, out into the heavens, and get in touch with your source of healing energy flowing down toward you.
Allow yourself to experience this healing energy flowing all around you and through you, filling your body with its radiance. With each breath you inhale this light. As it fills and surrounds you, it gently permeates your entire being and joins the river of life energy already flowing through your body.

1. Visualize an image of yourself seated in front of you. See yourself as clearly as possible.

2. Allow yourself to see and feel all your flaws, fears, anger, guilt and shame: all the things that keep you from self-love.

3. See all the ways you try to protect and defend yourself. See all the ways you fail to live up to your own expectations.

4. Send the healing energy of compassion and self-love out from your heart across to the image of yourself.

5. Feel and see the healing energy of the Holy One, blessed be He,  flowing from you and out to this other you.

6. Allow yourself to to forgive yourself.  Allow this energy to wash away all the things you have held against yourself, past and          present.

7. Allow this self-forgiveness to heal the wounds of your heart with self-love.

8. Now, switch roles and become the the other you who is being forgiven. Feel the forgiveness entering your heart.

9. Feel the gentle power of this forgiveness and love. Allow yourself to feel blessed.

10. As you now forgive yourself, you participate in the atonement and peace of your own heart.

11. And the atonement and peace of all Creation.

12. Allow yourself to stay in this deep state of healing as long as you wish.

Brachah for healing through the mind: Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe who gives the heart
understanding to distinguish between day and night.

Air [top of page]                            The World of Atzilut                                                    Spirit
1. Faith is the essential requirement to actualize the healing work that you have done so far. At times it is
more meaningful to have faith that your connection to spirit can effect your healing, more than the healing
work itself. It's not often easy, particularly at times at times of unsettling news, to believe in the awesome
healing possibilities of God, but it can start in small ways. We can start with trust, a quality a little more
down-to-earth. Consider some of the ways we put trust in our everyday affairs--depositing money in the
bank or buying food that's fresh from the market. Once you compile such a list, consider what it would take
to put trust in God's healing abilities. Belief in God's fervent desire to bestow good on mankind is probably
the most effective healing tool of all.

2. Another means to invoke the healing powers of the spiritual dimension is to recite healing psalms. The
celebrated Hasidic master, Rabbi Nachman of Breslov (1772-1810) isolated ten particular psalms as
healing psalms. These songs, better known as Tikkun HaKlali, the complete remedy, are considered to
have special power for healing the body, mind and spirit.
The following is the seventy-seventh psalm, the sixth psalm of the complete remedy. The suggested method to
extract the most value from psalms is to read one daily for a month, and during each successive reading
attempt to find new and personal meaning in the words and the verses.

           Psalm 77 for May
1. To the chief musician, on an evil decree, by Asaph a Psalm.
2. I will lift my voice to God and cry, I will lift my voice to God and he will give ear to me.
3. In the day of my trouble I sought my master, my would exudes into the night without ceasing, my soul refuses to be comforted.
4. I remember how God favored me and I moan, when I talk about it my spirit fainteth, Selah.
5. You held fast the lids of my eyes; I throbbed with pain and could not speak.
6. I have pondered the days of old, the years of ancient times.
7. I recall my song into the night, with my heart I meditate and my spirit searches diligently.
8. "Will my Master cast me off forever and will He no longer be favorable?
9. Has His kindness ceased forever? Has His promise come to an end for generations upon generations?
10. Has the Almighty forgotten to be gracious? Has His anger shut off His mercies?"
11. And I said, "It is to terrify me, this changing of the right hand of the Most High.
12. I will remember the deeds of God and I remember Your wonders of old.
13. And I will meditate upon all Your work, and of Your deeds I will speak.
14. God, in holiness is your way, what power is as great as God?
15. You are the almighty who does wonders, You have let Your people know of Your strength.
16. You have redeemed with an outstretched arm Your people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah.
17. The waters beheld You, God, the waters beheld You, they were terrified; even the depths trembled.
18. The clouds poured forth waters, the skies sent out a sound [thunder] also Your arrows [hailstones] went abroad.
19. The sound of Your thunder rolled like a wheel, the bolts of lightening lit up the world, the earth trembled and shook.
20. In the sea was Your way, and Your path in the great waters, and Your footsteps were not known.
21. You led Your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

3. Take on the Mitzvah of tz'dakah in your life. Tz'dakah is generally taken to mean giving money to charity.
The word actually is translated as righteousness, not charity. It suggests that we give something or be of
service to others, not necessarily money. For your healing welfare, try to find a project where you can give
to others. It might include visiting the sick regularly, visiting the elderly and the shut-ins, teaching a skill to
someone less accomplished than yourself, listening intensely to anyone who has a burdensome story to
tell. There are unlimited possibilities for giving tz'dakah; if you can't find any, than just give money.

Brachah for healing of spirit: My God, the soul you have placed in me is pure. You created it, You fashioned it, You breathed
it into me, You safeguard it within me, and eventually You will take it from me, and restore it to me in Time to Come. As long
as the soul is within me, I gratefully thank you, HASHEM, my God and the God of my forefathers, Master of all works, Lord of
all souls. Blessed are You, Lord our God, who restores souls to the dead.

Remember healing is an on-going process of taking care of yourself. Have patience, courage and fortitude
and you will prevail. You can start the Course in Jewish Healing at any time. If you have not read,
Groundwork for Jewish Healing, or any of the previous issues of this series, we suggest emailing us for a copy before
you begin the work. The back issues contain material which provide background material to this months Journey Through Four Worlds