Outline for Chaburah on Tuesday at 12 (NY time)

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Da Es Atzmecha:

Chapter 3:

Nullifying the negative Feelings:

pages 56-66

(chapter 3 is about Havdalah: separation: the power of "alone": associating with the inner "I")

Initial structure of creation: Adam was alone. This is the earliest power (now deeper in the soul) to be alone, then came Chava and the power in soul to be with others was added.

Therefore, the "I" has two aspects- outward toward people and the other part turns inward.

Question: How do we learn to associate positive feelings with the true "I", (as part of essence of soul), and dissociate from negative feelings- see them as coming from the external body= separate from the true "I"?

1. Focus: (even an angel cannot accomplish more than one task at a time) "When a person is busy with something, that should be the only thing he is doing, and nothing else should interest him)pg 62.

2. "Allow your mind to relax and take a break from the rush of life". (pg 64)- you will discover an entirely new sense of self" (pg 65) (technique ideas:use of quiet music, find a tool that helps you)

Two categories of feelings: (pg 57)

a. feelings in relation to self

b. feelings in relation to others

When we experience inner quiet, then comes the revelation of the presence of Hashem within us (pg 66).

To do: When feeling negative toward others go to the quiet inner self (disengage from evil in the world and connect to Hashem, 67).

(Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov, Moshe, Dovid- our forefathers were sheperds- seeking world of quiet- we follow in their footsteps. Matan Torah- no sounds heard not even a bird chirped (shmos raba 29:9) (pg 67).

***soul needs solitude as body needs food- it's the primary instrument for developing the soul.

"To attain this world of quiet, we must learn to quiet our thoughts" (pg 70).

To do:

Begin with 2 minutes a day- no reading or talking to anyone. First notice where your thoughts are, and whether they are calm or noisy thoughts. "Is the thought in the category of 'alone' or far from it?" (pg 71) If it's a thought that's very far from the "I" then just tell it that now is not the time for it, notice where your thoughts want to go. (see pages 70-71 for examples).

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 Bilvavi Mishkan Evneh:

19. Mesillas Yesharim: examine and scrutinize/evaluate your deeds to perform them in a more meaningful way

20. Realize clearly that without the desire to feel and/or the feeling of closeness to Hashem, it is as if we are dead.
    21. What does closeness to Hashem mean?

23. If we don't know what cleaving to Hashem means, then we have no understanding of our purpose in life.
    24. One can learn Torah and do mitzvos and still not have a :place for the light of Hashem to rest and to have Hashem dwell in their hearts”

25. The yh tries to convince us that it is beyond our comprehension and we should wait until Gan Eden to experience closeness to Hashem or that we will feel it eventually if we keep doing mitzvos.
26. Dovid Hamelech said :”as for me, closeness to Hashem is my good” and chazal say “there is no place devoid of Him” -how do we reconcile these two statements?!
27. Two types of closeness: a. spatial b. familial
28. spatial doesn't guarantee familial and familial doesn't guarantee spatial closeness/ with emotional closeness- there is closeness in the souls but may not be evident each moment
29. spatially we are close to Hashem (no place devoid of Him), familial (we are His children), friendship (do not forsake your Friend and your father's Friend)pg 36