Category: Jewish Astrology

Bilvavi Insights to Enhance the Hebrew Month of Adar

2/2/2022

If you'd like in-depth insights into:

Adar Alef
Adar Bet
Adar's Mazal of Dagim/Fish/Pisces
How the Tribe of Zevulun corresponds to Adar
Many Aspects of Purim
The Aspect of Laughter associated with Adar
Ta'anit Esther (the Fast of Esther)
An Enlightening Q&A
How to Fight the Sadness Caused by Amalek & Erev Rav...

...then please go to the Bilvavi Adar/Purim booklet crafted from transcripts of Rav Itamar Schwartz's shiurim:
https://bilvavi.net/files/Bilvavi.Purim.Talks.pdf

Revitalize Your Tishrei with Insights from Rav Itamar Schwartz

30/8/2021

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UPDATE: Please see this 12-page PDF booklet too:
Accessing Your Previous Lifetime
https://bilvavi.net/files/Bilvavi.Accessing.Your.Previous.Lifetime.pdf

Within, you'll discover the 5 sources of love in the soul, how to connect to long-gone tzaddikim, in addition to dealing with your previous lifetimes & this lifetime—all transcribed & translated from lectures by Rav Itamar Schwartz.

With all the focus on Rosh Hashanah as the beginning of a new year, plus getting ready for Heavenly Judgment by focusing on Hashem's Kingship, it's easy to overlook that fact that Rosh Hashanah is also Rosh Chodesh Tishrei.

To help us make the most of Tishrei, Bilvavi published a PDF booklet of Rav Itamar Schwartz's shiurim for Tishrei:
https://bilvavi.net/files/Bilvavi.Rosh.Chodesh.Tishrei.pdf

The sense associated with Tishrei is touch.

Without a physical sense of touch, we could not enjoy the relief of a cool breeze on a hot summer day, a rejuvenating swim, or test food to see if it's ready (like the texture of cake or kugel changed by baking or other foods during cooking).

A spiritual sense of touch also exists, which we experience through our heart.

As Rav Schwartz says on page 4:

The month of Tishrei are days in which our heart’s sense of touch is more opened.

We can feel things from our heart much more during these days than the rest of the year.

If we learn how to use our spiritual sense of touch, we can become close to Hashem during these days, to “feel” Hashem.

He explains a major difference between the avodah of men & women (as evidenced by the obligation of men in limud Torah—an obligation not cast upon women) is how men serve Hashem more via the mind while women tend to serve Hashem more via the heart.

Of course, he acknowledges that women can & do also serve Hashem via the mind (attested to by the many women today who take upon themselves to read mussar & learn many aspects of Torah) & that men also must serve Hashem via the heart.

In fact, he notes that in Tishrei—particularly during the 10 Days of Teshuvah—men need to connect to their heart more than ever, even making the heart their main avodah at that time.

He also explains the obstacles to avodah via the heart, and why—despite women's innate ability to serve Hashem through the heart—women today struggle to connect with the heart.

To remedy this, Rav Schwartz recommends "heart time."

During this time, we silence our thoughts to access our soul by tuning in to what's going on in our heart.

Basically, you sit with a piece of paper and write out your feelings (page 4):

What do you feel all the time?

Do you feel love, or hatred, or any other emotion going on inside you?

Write down everything positive and negative you feel in your life; the good and the bad.

If you're still not sure how to proceed with this exercise, it's explained a lot more there, plus a generous Q&A follows on pages 5-8, providing more guidance.

Doing Teshuvah on the Root of All Sin

Another aspect of touch is doing teshuvah over the root of all sin: Adam & Chava touching & eating the fruit of the Eitz HaDaat (Tree of Knowledge).

Page 11:

We all ate from the Eitz HaDaas; we all lost our spiritual sense for touch.

We each have our own private sins which we need to do teshuvah.

But there is a root, general teshuvah which applies to every Jew – we all need to do teshuvah over the root of all sin, which is that we ate from the Eitz HaDaas and thereby lost our spiritual touch.

The One Time You Can Simply Feel the Reality of Hashem

Rav Schwartz also notes that on Rosh Hashanah, a person can feel Hashem without the exertion usually needed to feel Hashem (page 11):

Every day on Rosh HaShanah, this point in time returns, where he can simply feel Hashem.

During the rest of the year, this sense of Hashem comes only through exertion to most people (some rare individuals can sense Him simply, because they acquired this ability through mesirus nefesh, an intense level of devotion to Him).

But on Rosh HaShanah, every person can feel simply the reality of Hashem, as a natural ability, just as one can feel something with his body, as long as he has opened his soul even a bit.

Nice!

The Mazal of Tishrei: Moznayim/Scales/Libra

On pages 14-18, Rav Schwartz explains:

how the mazal of Moznayim connects to the month of Tishrei
how the idea connects to ears & the power of imagination
how benonim can be on a higher level than tzaddikim (explained according to the Gra)

The Tribe of Yosef & The Month of Tishrei

Yosef HaTzaddik corresponds to the month of Tishrei.

Tishrei contains a spiritually damaged root, much like how Yosef suffered a certain spiritual damage due to his encounter with Potifar's wicked wife.

We try to rectify that damage, and the blowing of the shofar plays a powerful role in repairing that damage.

Please note: Rav Itamar Schwartz lovingly opposes all forms of the Internet & has no connection to the Bilvavi site.
The Q&As were either recorded during a class given by Rav Schwartz, then transcribed and translated into English, or they are questions people wrote in, and his verbal answer recorded.
None of that is FOR the website. It's just something he has done for years (i.e., conduct classes & answer questions).
The Bilvavi site was produced by a student of Rav Schwartz (a student who seems to be running it from a Netfree Internet center, and not from his home), and the site is specifically meant to make Rav Schwartz's shiurim & ideas available as kiruv for completely secular people.
I do not fit that description, but I obviously use the site anyway. (I can't resist!)
The point is that Rav Schwartz has no more connection with the Bilvavi website than Rav Kanievsky does with all the websites that post videos & quotes of him.
Please see the Disclaimer here:
https://eng.bilvavi.net/opinion/

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Bilvavi Insights for the Hebrew Month of Sivan & for Shavuot

15/5/2021

Here are insights from Rav Itamar Schwartz of Bilvavi for the month of Sivan & Shavuot:

Serving Hashem by Walking
https://bilvavi.net/english/rosh-chodesh-avodah-003-sivan-walkling

This transcripted class is absolutely amazing.

"Walking" (halichah or hiluch) is the essence of the month of Sivan.

Within, you learn how to deal with those down times, those dismal times known by the Baal Shem Tov as "Days of Hate."

It's so helpful for what a lot of us are experiencing now.

It also describes minor yet significant differences between how men should handle this stage versus how women should handle it.

A fascinating Q&A appears at the end.

The Mazal of Sivan: Twins/Te'umim/Gemini
https://bilvavi.net/english/rosh-chodesh-mazal-005-sivan-twins

Yaakov & Esav represented good & evil twins, twins who could not help each other (even though Yaakov wanted to). One even tried to destroy the other.

Zerech & Peretz, the sons of Tamar, represent the ideal twins, who help each other.

The deeper concept of twins affects our relationship with ourselves, Hashem, and within marriage.

Sivan: Closer than Twins
https://bilvavi.net/english/rosh-chodesh-mazal-006-sivan-closer-twins

Walking toward the Endless
https://bilvavi.net/english/essence-month-003-sivan-walking-towards-endless

And here is the Shavuot booklet:
https://bilvavi.net/files/Bilvavi.Shavuos.Talks.pdf

Poppy anemones on a sunny day in Eretz Yisrael

Please note this is a pre-scheduled post. I'm not actually here at the time of this posting. I rarely go online motza'ei Shabbat. Shavua tov!

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Bilvavi Posts to Enhance the Month of Iyar

12/4/2021

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UPDATE 13/4/2021:
You can access all the lessons below, plus more about Iyar, in one attractive PDF booklet:
https://www.bilvavi.net/files/Bilvavi.Rosh.Chodesh.Iyar.pdf

As many of you know, the month of Iyar hints at:
"Ani Hashem Rofecha—I am God, your Healer."

(The first letter of Iyar--alef—stands for Ani/I while the 2 yuds stand for Hashem's Name, and the last letter--reish—stands for Rofecha/your Healer.)

But even more lies hidden in Iyar.

For insights into Iyar's astrological sign The Bull/Taurus/Shor, please see this transcript of a lesson from Rav Itamar Schwartz:
https://www.bilvavi.net/english/rosh-chodesh-mazal-004-iyar-bull

The Tribe associated with Iyar is Yissachar:
https://www.bilvavi.net/english/rosh-chodesh-tribe-002-iyar-yissocher

Like other months, Iyar is associated with a soul ability. For example, the winter month of Kislev focuses on sleep.

Nissan focuses on speech and Iyar, deepening Nissan's ability, focuses on thought & visualization:
https://www.bilvavi.net/english/essence-month-002-iyar-thought-visualization

This post emphasizes the type of thinking in which women excel...binah:
https://www.bilvavi.net/english/rosh-chodesh-avodah-002-iyar-serving-hashem-through-thinking

Chodesh Tov!

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The Hebrew Month of Tevet: 5 Links to Help Us Illuminate the Power of the Darkest Month of the Year

20/12/2020

Now that we're snugly ensconced in the month of Tevet/Teves, let's look at some links to help us make the most of this seasonally darkest month of the year (in the Northern Hemisphere, at least)—all transcribed from lectures by Rav Itamar Schwartz of Bilvavi:

Teves | The Goat (The astrological sign of Tevet is the Gedi/Goat/Capricorn.)

Teves | Dan (The Tribe associated with Tevet is Dan.)

Yearning on the Tenth of Teves (This fast day mourns the ancient Babylonian siege on Yerushalayim; please see HERE to learn more.)

Teves | How To Get Angry

NEW! Teves: Overcoming Fear & Trauma 12-page PDF (includes Q&A)

May Hashem please shine the light of the Geula over the entire world.

Fascinating Links for Kislev

18/11/2020

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UPDATE:
If anyone would like to subscribe to receive Rav Itamar Schwartz's newsletters (1 in English & 1 in Hebrew) directly to your inbox, you have 2 options:

Subscribe to newsletter via email: subscribe@bilvavi.net

Or online:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfU1XchUBIY_hwNX12d28zonTHILlDXSmtaXOsOMl6InfCshA/viewform?vc=0&c=0&w=1&flr=0&gxids=7628

(Note: I don't receive anything for recommending this. Just trying to be helpful.)

If you ever wondered what was going on with the Rambam's approach to Aristotle (whose science hasn't stood the test of time), please read:

Rav Avigdor Miller on The Rambam and Aristotle

Also for this new month of Kislev, please check out the following from Rav Itamar Schwartz:

Tribe of Binyamin (which is associated with Kislev)
Mazal - The Bow (Sagittarius, the astrological sign for Kislev; Jewish astrology is totally different than atheistic non-Jewish astrology.)
Avodah of Sleep (Winter is a time of sleep & is therefore associated with this very wintery month. Here, Rav Schwartz explains how sleep explains a woman's nature—woman, Chava, was created from sleep—and also how to use our dreams for personal growth, plus practical steps toward understanding your penimyut, i.e., your unique soul.)
Power of Sleep (Going to sleep with the right intention is a form of mesirut nefesh AND mesirut nefesh is one of the ways to sort out the Erev Rav! For that source, please see the last paragraph in What to Do about the Erev Rav?)

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2 Fascinating Links to Enhance Your Life during This Time

3/8/2020

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Here's a video of a shiur from 2017 by Rabbi Yehoshua Zitron from Torahanytime.com called: Dybbuk/Exorcism/Adultery Part 1: Understanding Possessions Through Stories.

UPDATE: Here is the rest of the series: Dybbuk/Exorcism/Adultery: Part 2 - What Happens To A Spirit & Dybbuk/Exorcism/Adultery: Part 3 - The Destroyers

The first part of the shiur discusses a plague so lethal that as victims approached Rav Laniado for help, they dropped dead on the spot, and it explains how Rav Laniado remedied that.

(I couldn't catch the name of the book in which this story appeared, so if anyone figures it out, I'll be grateful if you let us know.)

Rabbi Zitron also brings fascinating stories from the Arizal & Rav Yehudah Petayah's Minchat Yehudah.

It all reinforces the importance of emunah and being real about your Yiddishkeit, kosher mezuzot, believing in the 13 Principles of Faith, and Torah learning.

And if you ever wondered why non-Jewish exorcists appear to succeed, Rabbi Zitron explains that the forces of tumah utilized in non-Jewish exorcisms damage the already damaged soul even more, so the soul flees in horror. (It's sort of like trying to clean a filthy garment by rubbing sewage into it; that only ruins the garment even more.) He also mentions exorcisms performed by priests in recent years, which resulted in the host's death (if it was even a real dybbuk-possession in the first place).

Also, Bilvavi produced a PDF collection of Rav Itamar Schwartz's insights into the month of Av, its astrological influence, its connection to Shimon ben Yaakov, and other helpful material to assist us in the avodah appropriate for this month.

Also, if you were born in Av, it can help you glean extra insights into yourself.

Here it is:
http://www.bilvavi.net/files/Bilvavi.Rosh.Chodesh.Av.pdf

Note: The Jewish view of astrology (mazalot) is that there's an influence that can always be overridden by our prayers, deeds, and Hashem. We may not rely on the mazalot nor may we attempt to predict the future with star charts. Jewish astrology walks in temimut with Hashem. However, Hashem created the influence for a reason & we can utilize the ruach of each month for beneficial purposes.

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Special Kislev Roundup: Rav Itamar Schwartz on Dreams & Women's Avodah, Plus a Special Segulah to See a Huge Miracle from Rav Chaim Palagi

27/11/2019

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Rav Itamar Schwartz on Kislev & Dreams

Just in time for Rosh Chodesh Kislev, it's very worth checking out Rav Itamar Schwartz's transcribed lectures on Kislev.

In particular, Rosh Chodesh Kislev: Dreams & Sleep contains lots of beautiful information.

For example, the famous verse in Shir Hashirim – "I am asleep, but my heart is awake" – contains many deep meanings, one of which refers to the creation of Chava.

A woman is the heart. When Hashem created Chava, He put Adam to sleep.

So Adam was asleep, but his heart – Chava – was awakening & awake.

Rav Schwartz also discusses dream interpretation and it has a lot to do with your own level of self-knowledge.

In a dvar Torah on one of the parshahs (can't remember which one), Rebbetzin Shira Smiles explained that the kavanot of the person who prepared your food can influence your dreams.

She gave the example of a big rav who experience a disturbing dream out of character from his high spiritual level, and discovered later that the person who produced the meal was a person with low-level (or even anti-Torah?) thoughts.

I was so happy to come across this dvar Torah because I never understood why food can impact your dreams so much, and this gave a pretty good explanation for that influence.

I suppose there are other reasons too, but that's a pretty good one.

If I remember correctly, Rav Shalom Arush in Garden of Healing also mentioned that a person's thoughts and attitudes while preparing food can influence the eaters, both physically & spiritually, for better or for worse.

It's a classic tradition for Jewish women to say l'chvod Shabbot when preparing Shabbat meals and to murmur prayers while kneading challah dough.

Once again, it's not so much what you do, but HOW you do it that makes all the difference.

And, as always, Rav Schwartz emphasizes the importance of looking to rabbinical sources for self-help, as opposed to secular sources. In this article, he recommends Michtav M'Eliyahu/Strive for Truth in particular.

His post on dreams is also followed by a really interesting & helpful Q&A.

Rav Chaim Palagi's Kislev Segulah

Last year, I learned (I think on Shirat Devorah) of Rav Chaim Palagi's segulah to see a huge miracle this year.

Rabbi Alon Anava described it as the following 4 aspects:

1) From Rosh Chodesh until the last day of Chanukah, do not complain about anything (including in your thoughts).

2) Praise & thank Hashem a lot. (The 1st is "sur m'ra/turn from evil" and this 2nd step is "aseh tov/do good" – always a winning combination!)

3) Based on Sefer Yetzirah, Kislev is connected to the Hebrew letter samech ס, which hints at l'smoch – to rely, to count on. This is the underlying energy of Kislev. So work on relying on Hashem, and putting your trust in Him, i.e., bitachon.

4) Really put your faith in Hashem (emunah).

As you can see, the 4 steps are all interrelated.

It is also a very tall order. I must admit that I massively messed this up last year, so I'm aiming for more dedication & hoping for more siyata d'Shmaya this time around.

But you know what? Even if you already get all kvetchy, resentful, bitter, and faithless halfway through Rosh Chodesh, at least you still had some very spiritually powerful moments.

And even if you only find out about this segulah the day after Rosh Chodesh, it's still very worth trying.

And don't feel you've lost everything.

Pick yourself up & keep going until the last day of Chanukah.

Even if you fall on your face repeatedly, just keeping doing it.

Whether you'll merit a huge miracle some time this year or not, the above 4 steps contain tremendous positive spiritual power that benefit both you and the entire Am Yisrael.

We're all interconnected. Think of it like a person who tones & lifts weights with one leg while leaving the other by itself. He'll develop a major limp! But if he at least tries working out with the other leg, it'll still get stronger & hold up his body better than if he didn't work it at all.

That's us: one person altogether.

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Links to Posts on This Blog Dealing with Tammuz & Av

5/7/2019

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We've just started Tammuz, and it's a pretty heavy month.

It's followed by Av, which is even heavier (at least the first 10 days, anyway).

If you'd like some help in understanding & dealing with Tammuz (and Av!), you can check out the following posts:

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The Secret Power of Tammuz

1/7/2018

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Rabbi Alon Anava has got a great shiur on the power of the month of Tammuz for transformation, and how using that power correctly can extend throughout the rest of the year.

This shiur really helped me because I always find this time of year depressing and scary.

And yes, many depressing and scary things happened between yesterday, the 17th of Tammuz and 3 weeks from now on the 9th of Av.

But judging events and people favorably can change everything.

In this time period, due to the Crab mazal influencing things to move backwards and the Lion mazal of Av providing a more savage "tear it apart" inclination (both according to the Kli Yakar), we can find ourselves becoming harsher with our hearts and minds.

And this is behind the Destruction of the Beit Hamikdash.

However, seeing the good in people and events, and judging favorably, can utilize the power of Tammuz for greatness.

(This does not mean that we whitewash truly bad acts or truly bad people, or allow them to hurt others, but that we see the good in things and people in addition to the bad, we find some kind of merit or something to be grateful for.)

Rabbi Anava speaks about how the disease is the same word as the Latin and Hebrew name of the month: Cancer/Sartan, and what the root of this disease is and more about the word Sartan and how it relates to the word seret, which is Hebrew for movie.

Being grateful for everything, even if you don't know why, and striving to find some chip of diamond in the mountain of sludge are the keys to utilizing the power of Tammuz.

Please access the audio & video of the shiur here:
The Secrets of Kabbalah behind the Month of Tammuz

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<<Previous

Bilvavi Insights to Enhance the Hebrew Month of Adar

Revitalize Your Tishrei with Insights from Rav Itamar Schwartz

Doing Teshuvah on the Root of All Sin

The One Time You Can Simply Feel the Reality of Hashem

The Mazal of Tishrei: Moznayim/Scales/Libra

The Tribe of Yosef & The Month of Tishrei

Bilvavi Insights for the Hebrew Month of Sivan & for Shavuot

Bilvavi Posts to Enhance the Month of Iyar

The Hebrew Month of Tevet: 5 Links to Help Us Illuminate the Power of the Darkest Month of the Year

Fascinating Links for Kislev

2 Fascinating Links to Enhance Your Life during This Time

Special Kislev Roundup: Rav Itamar Schwartz on Dreams & Women's Avodah, Plus a Special Segulah to See a Huge Miracle from Rav Chaim Palagi

Rav Itamar Schwartz on Kislev & Dreams

Rav Chaim Palagi's Kislev Segulah

Links to Posts on This Blog Dealing with Tammuz & Av

The Secret Power of Tammuz

Myrtle Rising

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