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Questions and Answers #5
Here are some of the questions that were sent to us, and the answers sent back.
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Q      If you write that people should not be using the internet why do you have a website?

A     The Internet has much impurity and has caused many people to commit severe sins. However like everything else in the world it can be used for good as well.

Q     How do I know if I can use the internet or not?

A     Regarding using the Internet. If you have stumbled in the past and looked at impure images etc. on the web and there is a possibility that you may fall again, then you should immediately get rid of the Internet and do not use it again. If a person is not positive that he has control of himself at all times including when he is sad or depressed he should never use the Internet.

Q      On the True Kabbalah site you have a number of articles that say there were a number of people who did averous lshem shamaim (for the sake of heaven). Who says such a thing?

A     Study the Mi Hashiloach by the Ishbitzer, he learns up many cases in this manner.

Q     Is there anywhere where I can get a list of all the Tikkunim that exist?

A       At this point we do not have a complete list posted on the web. Browse through the articles since we have many tikkunim listed throughout the various writings.

Q      Who should go out to protest against the Mishkav Zochar Parade?

A      Whoever can should go to protest (unless one will be unable to guard his eyes).

Q     I am trying, sometimes it goes smooth other times not.

A    Keep up the fight, there will be ups and downs but if you keep on fighting you will win. Try to study the Sefarim of Rebbe Nachman, this will help you out a lot.

Q      Why can't I watch moves, I enjoy them and they help me relax?

A     Lets say that there was a person that abused you when you were younger and stole all your energy. Now this guy is making a fun party. Are you going to say "I will go to his party, enjoy his food and energy and just ignore his bad side or are you going to take vengeance upon him."

Q     I have thoughts going through my head telling me to do certain things, how do I know that these are not 'messages' that I should be following?

A     Unfortunately many of the thoughts must be coming from the other side and the rest are most probably tinted. Rebbe Nachman taught that a person should just ignore all the thoughts and just keep on doing Tikkunim. As time goes on a person will purify himself more and more and these thoughts will become greatly weakened until they disappear completely. As a general rule, if the thought is telling you to do good then follow it, if the opposite then ignore it. Remember no matter how badly a person has fallen he can always repair his actions. Rebbe Nachman already declared, that despair does not exist and any person can still attain great levels.

Q     I just received an inspiration to do Teshuvah, what should I do to keep it going.

A    Even if a person is motivated to improve, this only lasts for a short period of time. He then falls back to his original state or worse. If a person is constantly studying the books of Rebbe Nachman then he will always have motivation to get back up and continue trying. In addition Rebbe Nachman gives advice after advice how to handle every situation.

Q    When I was younger I studied Kabbalah. Maybe I should not have, for now I am internally aware of the damage my actions cause and where it reaches. I am trying to run away from it all, it is too hard. Some days I sit saying Tehilim the whole day like a tzadik, and the next day I can fall and commit horrible sins.

A     It is much harder to sin once a person has studied Kabbalah. However not everyone merits this great enlightenment. The main thing in Avodas Hashem is stability, to do something even if it is small, consistently. To walk slowly and then when there is stability and energy to hit hard. Meaning, a person who is unbalanced will fall. He might do 5 hours straight of Hisbodedute on one day and the next day defile himself in great Klipot.

The trick is to move slowly and consistently. Most people can not become a Tzadik in one day. Set a path that over the years will take you to great heights. Rather then do a big Tikkun with full burst of energy and then fall, level it out instead and do many small Tikkunim consistently. Then when you are stable and have energy then hit hard and then move back to stability, it is all about running and returning.

Here is what you should do, for now forget about studying Kabbalah you will get back to it after you have purified yourself more. It was very good that you learned what you did, since it woke you up in a world where most people sleep their entire life. Now is the time to temporarily set it aside and gain control. You will return to it later when you are more ready. Even now look at it once in a while just so you do not fall asleep.

Now set anchors, a group of small easy Tikkunim that you will do every day no matter what and a number of negative things that you will refrain from doing at all costs. Set aside an hour or 2 a day to study Pshat, if you can not study Talmod then learn Mishnah and Tanach. Continue saying the Tikkun Klali daily and set aside a small part of the day for Hisbodedute. Remember it is better to do these things consistently, without being able to concentrate, then flying up and down and then crashing. If you do them consistently even if it seems to be a low form of the avodah in the end you will be able to do it in a state of Mochin Degadlus.

Also Mikvah if not every day then at least Erev Shabbos Chok vlo yavor. Always take time out to review Rebbe Nachman's Sefarim over and over again, his advice is the only thing that can raise most people in this generation. By constantly review his books one is always being reminded of his various teachings.

Make the list of the worst Pgamim you do and then create barriers so that you will never go there again.

The advice here is not something that will help you in one day or even a month. It is a long term plan but if you stick to it you will constantly be able to add things, although there will always be ups and downs.

Q      The Rambam writes that spilling seed makes a person loose a lot of his physical energy. Why would it be different if a person lived with his wife as often as he could?

A    The Rambam is actually talking exactly about that case and not about spilling seed. However when a person is also committing a sin at the same time, in addition he also creates damaging spirits which cause the physical manifestations to be worse.

There are also other reasons to limit this, for even if a person is not committing a sin, if he is still very controlled by his desires then it is very hard for him to grow spiritually. There is some thing called a Minuval Breshus Hatorah there is also something called Hiskadesh Lech Bmutar Lecha. These are two levels but the Mikubalim speak a lot about learning to control ones temptations even in cases where they are permitted. Each person should act according to his level when it comes to this, however there should be some control for everyone.

A    In general birth control has been frowned upon by the Mekubalim. However there are cases where it is permitted, depending on the method and the situation.

Q      As far as souls being brought down by spilling seed. Why is it different if a person has a relationship with his wife at a time when she can not become pregnant?

A     Every time seed is emitted, souls come down. If a person is committing a sin even if it is Gayah or Nidah, since he is committing an act of impurity the Sitra Achrah has the ability to take possession of the souls. Zerah Lvatalh is worse since as long as there is a receiving party then it must go to that specific impurity. When there is no reciving party, then there is a lot more flexibility of what the Sitra Acher can do with his energy.

If a person is not committing a sin then the souls brought down actually serve as defending spirits depending on the amount that he had purified himself at that time. To understand the above you must take into account that not all souls are equal and some are just sparks and pieces.

Q       If a person is married should he try to control himself or should he be with his wife every day that she is not a nidah?

A      According to Halacha it is permissible and a person will not be punished for doing so. However there are the health issues as brought down by the Rambam and according to the Kabbalah a person should learn to control himself a little. If a person feels that he does not have control over his desires, then it is far better that he do what is Halachacly permissible then to go near any sin. Gaining control over what is permitted only comes after a person is clean from what is not permitted.

Regarding defending spirits this strongly depends on how much a person purifies himself at that time and if he fully abides by the rules brought down in Shulchan Aruch.

Q      I was unemployed for 2 years and now I finally have a job. Now my boss has started yelling at me and I am afraid of loosing the job.

A     When a person starts doing Teshuvah he normally encounters opposition. As time goes on if he continues being strong it goes away. Here is the best way to deal with it until it goes away. Do at least 15 minutes of Hisbodedute a day and tell Hashem that you are accepting this as a punishment for your sins and that you do not mind being yelled at and embarrassed. However you are begging him on one thing, that you do not lose your job. Say the last 2 years were very hard on you and if you loose your job you simply do not see how you will be able to survive.

Then at work when your boss yells at you accept it in good spirit and remain silent. In your mind meditate that the holy Kabalist the RAMAK said that being embarrassed and accepting it and remaining silent is one of the biggest tikkunim that a person could possibly do. A person can receive punishment through bodily injury, damage to his family or monetary loss. However being embarrassed is sometimes more painful then all this and a person remains completely intact.

Q      How much damage does wasting seed cause to the brain and how does one fix it?

A     The severity depends on the amount of times he commits the sin as well as to how attached a person was to it. However worse then the physical damage is the damage to the soul. This also effects the thought process since the brain is just a vessel to the soul. This is especially true if a person is Jewish since he has a much larger responsibility to remain Holy.

The way to fix the damage is to stop and then do Tikkunim, many of which can be found on the site.

Q      Why is having a Halachicly perishable relationship that does not end in pregnancy different then wasting seed as far as bringing down souls?

A    There are a lot of elements that have to be explained and time limits me from writing them, maybe at a later point we will post them on the site.

In short there are always souls brought down although most of them are only sparks and not of the equivalence that can be turned into a full child. If a person is sinning then the klipot have the authority to take control of these souls. If a person is following the Halachos then they actually become spirits of defense for him. Obviously this all depends on the amount that he purifies himself at that time.

Q    Which is better to waste seed or to have out of marriage relationships?

A    They are both very bad sins and people who do either will cause much damage. There is really no other option other then being Shomer Habris.

We really should not be writing this, but having a relationship with a Pnoyah (a single jewish women that is not a nidah) is not an actual sin. This is assuming that it is not on a constant basis (if it is on a constant basis she is called a zonah and that is also very bad. We are referring to a person who simply stumbled once or twice). Meaning, it is very damaging to the soul and anyone with fear of Hashem will avoid this, however it is not as severe as the other sins. The problem with this is that they are always a Nidah which is a very, very severe sin. Unless she immerses and follows the laws of Nidah like a married women then all contact with her is strictly forbidden.

There is a story about the Chsam Sofer who had a student who did what you described. This was very unheard of in those days especially from the students of such a tzadik. The Chsam Sofer called him over and gave him a slap across his face. The student responded that he first had her immerse in a kosher mikvah according to the full laws of Nidah. The Chsam Sofer responded by giving him another slap. He then said "if you would have told me that you simply lost control and committed a sin then you deserve punishment, but it is understandable that you fell at a weak moment. However if you sat there planning it out and had many opportunities to gain control over yourself and refrain from sinning then your punishment will be far worse."

There is really no other option but to be holy and be Shomer Habris. It is not as hard as it seems, there are many people who do so. Go through the site Briskodesh.org there is a lot of information that can help you out and with help of Hashem we will keep on posting more.

Q   Where does a non-jewish person stand as far as holiness?

A    In general there are elements of spirituality that can only be accessed if a person is Jewish. A person does not have to be born Jewish, if he converts according to halacha then he will receive a replacement to many parts of his soul.

Even if a person is not Jewish they can still access spirituality and become close to G-D. There are many stories in the lore of the Kabbalah about righteous non jews that also merited to attain levels. Although if a person is Jewish he can access higher levels in the end, it is much easier for a non jew to be righteous since there are much less requirements.

These are the basic requirements, if you follow them you will gain a closeness to G-D.

Research and then follow the Seven Commandments of The Beni Noach

Make it clear in your mind and soul that there is only one G-D and that there is no need for intermediates.

Refine your attributes such as controlling your anger.

Do acts of charity and kindness around your neighborhood.

If you do the above then you will be in good shape.

Q    I have practically given up on myself and do not think I will ever reach the places that my family and rabbis expect me to be.

A   The first point is that there is no such thing as giving up. There is not one person in the world, even if he had sunk to the worst depths that can not work his way up again. A person just has to learn the methods of doing this. If a person does not know the tactics of the war how can he be expected to fight. In the worst case scenario where a person passes away before he was able to fully rectify his life, he has still won, since he died trying.

The next point is that you do not have to live up to any expectations at all. Having to mold yourself into something is a lie. A person has to be Oved Hashem using the vessels and conditions that were given to him. This is in no way an excuse to not achieve, every person is capable of pushing forward with all his might but he does not have to look at the people around him at all. Many times a person will look at others around him whom he deems to have achieved more then him and fall into a state of jealousy or depression. Know, one of the main tricks in Avodas Hashem is to not look at any one around you at all.

If a person sins and then tries to do Teshuvah he will have a lot of opposition. This is a fact of reality, the Kabbalah explains how and why this works but it is not the time for it. When a person first starts, he receives a boost of energy but soon it goes away. In addition a person can be attacked from all sides both monetarily and physically. As we wrote above a person who does not know how to fight will lose. A person that knows the tricks of the Sitra Acher and how to deal with them has already one half the battle.

There is one place where this can all be found, in the books of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov. A person does not have to become Breslov. He does not even have to mention to anyone that he is doing anything based on Rebbe Nachman's teaching. The teachings are simply good advice and a person who is aware of them wants to start using them.

Q    I found what you wrote about the punishment of wasting seed and the creation of demons to be very funny.

A    It is very good that you think so, since it only gets funnier after a person passes away.

Q     I one time read that sometimes a person can get punished for doing a mitzvah, is this true?

A     There is no such thing as a punishment for a mitzvah. The only exception being, when a person does a big tikkun there might be opposition. This is not a punishment it just a test, an obstacle that must be overcome to reach the next level. Another case might be where a person does a mitzvah through an avarah or uses a mitzvah as excuse for an avarah.

Q     Is being Pogem Habris any less worse when you are young and cannot get married; eg, in highschool or 17-18 years old? Is it almost expected for people to sin in this way at this age as long as it is stopped around the time he can get married?

A      There is never any excuse for any reason to be pogem Habris and there are many people who are unmarried that are Shomer Habris.

Q      I see a lot of signs in Yerushalim telling women that they should dress with more tznius. Well I think that men should not be looking at women in the first place

A      Men should not look at women but they should not have to walk without their glass on and with their eyes on the floor in middle of Charadi neighborhoods because the charadi women dress immodestly.

Q      I was pogem habris for many years and now I am trying to remain pure. However sometimes I daydream about impure things and some drops come out.

A      One of the main parts of Shmirat Habris is also controlling the thoughts going through the mind and not daydreaming. If a person feels a build up, he should totally ignore it and continue doing Avodas Hashem. If drops come out while going to the bathroom or sleep, a person should just recite the Tikkun Klali and go to the Mikvah. If he can’t then do the 40 washings of the hands. Most times if a person ignores the build up it will go away, especially if he does Tikkunim. While in the bathroom, train yourself not to use the front muscles while sitting down. Remember all this will only occur when a person first begins being Shomer Habris. After awhile all these issues do not even occur.

Q     If drops come out while I am sleeping or going to the bathroom, am I still Shomer Habris?

A      Anytime drops are emitted against a persons will, it counts as keri and not as if he was Pogem Habris Heaven Forbid. The rule with Keri is, it is damaging but if a person did not cause it by thinking impure thoughts then it is not his fault. When a person first starts being Shomer Habris and it is very hard for him to control his thoughts, as long as he is trying his hardest he should not worry about keri or drops that come out after using the bathroom. Remember these are just opposition from the Sitra Acher to make a person fall back into Pgam Habris. When a person is first starting, the only thing he should be worried about is not to purposely spill seed, actively bring himself to impure thought or look at impure pictures. All keri and drops emitted in the bathroom should be ignored as if they did not occur (besides mikvah and tikkun klali). After a person has been Shomer Habris for a while then he can start dealing with those elements.

A      If a person is trying his hardest he will receive protection from heaven. All this is one big lie from the Sitra Acher to make a person fall. If a person is Shomer Habris for a number of months he will not even be having these build ups at all. He will be able to control his desires and thoughts. If a person feels a build up he should start saying the Tikkun Haklali or other Tehilim. Then even if drops are forced out by themselves he should not worry about it.

Q    I would like to spread the teachings of Shmiras Habris as part of my Tikkun.

A     One of the biggest Tikkunim that a person can do is to do Hafatzah on Shmirat Habris. We currently have a site www.briskodesh.org any person you send to the site can be counted as Hafatzah. We also publish a pamphlet on Shmiras Habris.

http://www.briskodesh.org/PDF/tikun-book.pdf

We will supply you (free of charge) with as many of them as you can give out.

Q     The Kabbalah sounds like many of the bogus Christian teachings.

A    You are right that the early Christians based many of their teachings on the Kabbalah and mysticism. The fact that they corrupted the teachings does not effect the position of the true kabbalah in any way.

A     There are groups and people who misuse the Kabbalah. However any true kabbalists has zero interest in money and would definitely not mislead people. As far as our group, we are not influenced by money and have never asked any one for a donation.

Q   I started doing Shir Hashirim for 40 days, but now I missed a day. Do I have to start over or can I just add a day and end on the 41st day instead?

 A     According to the rules, you have to start over. Hopefully Hashem will count the extra effort and the Tikkun will now be more effective.

Q     What is the best time to do Hisbodedute?

A     The most important thing is to do it at a time that is possible for you to do it every day consistently.

After having said this, the best time is Chazot but do not try it if you will end up not waking up.

Other then that do it at the time you feel will work out every day.

Q   I have tried many times to be Shomer Habris, but in the end I fall, what can I do?

A     There are two main elements in Shmiras Habris if you manage to integrate these into your life then it will be very easy to be Shomer Habris. If this is not done then at times a person will be strong and at times he will be weak and may heaven forbid fall and be pogem habris.

The first element is the knowledge that 90 percent of the battle of Shmiras Habris is fought in advance and not at the time of a test. The bulk of the work it takes to be shomer habris is the preparations before you are placed in a situation where you will be tested.

The second element is, a person can not just quit getting energy from the Sitra Acher. If he does, he will fall when he is weak since he has nothing to stand on. The trick is not to quit but to replace it with holiness and Kedusha.

If a person is constantly doing things that are holy, whether it is tikkunim, mikva, helping people do teshuvah, studying torah or even reading stories of the tzadikim, then his desires to sin becomes extremely small. In addition he has a lot more stability and falls into states of weakness much less then before. Even in a case where he is straight out placed in a test he will find it very easy to overcome he might not even be tempted at all.

Here is the easiest way to accomplish the above.

Everyday no matter what happens, do an hour of hisbodedute and study the books of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov for a half an hour (many breslov books are available in english). Do this day after day even if you feel impure and even if you feel that it is useless and not helping you at all.

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