Even the Most Religious

The six week period of “Shovavim” is the time most suited for repentance over sexual transgressions. The period begins this week with the commencement of “Shemot,” the second book of the Torah, and ends the week of the Torah portion “Mishpatim.”

Posters on billboards all over Israel are announcing the times and places of special “Shovavim” gatherings, where special prayers are recited designed to cleanse a person of sexual misdeeds. One of Israel’s leading Kabbalists, Rabbi David Batrzi, writes on his “Shovavim” poster:

"As is known, the verse,  ‘There is no righteous person who does good and does not sin' (Kohelet, 7:20) is referring to the area of sexual transgressions, which give birth to destructive spiritual forces which pursue a person to his great harm, both in this world and the next. Nearly all of the tribulations, sufferings, wars, illnesses, plagues, and poverty that come upon a person – all derive from sexual transgression (Pagam HaBrit)”.

Many religious couples think that they don’t have to repent for sexual transgressions because they lead perfectly kosher lives. However, the fact is, in this matter, even the most Orthodox of couples can succumb to the wiles of the evil inclination. As our Sages have taught, “No one is immune from sexual sin.” For this reason, Kabbalists stress that special care must be taken in this area of our lives.

In his writings on “Shovavim” the saintly Tzanz-Klausberg Rebbe, leader of the Tzanz Hasidic community, and founder of the Lanyado Medical Center in Netanya, stressed that even married men and Torah scholars must make a concerted effort to repent during the "Shovavim" period ("Halichot Chaim," Holidays and Seasons, Chapter on "Shovavim").

Every week, people with all kinds of problems come to speak with the elder Kabbalist, Rabbi Leon Levi, seeking salvation and advice. You would be surprised to discover – just as they are – that in a great many cases, the source of their troubles, whether it be illness, livelihood problems, marriage difficulties, or unruly children, stem from sexual transgression. At first, many deny that they are guilty of sexual wrongdoing, but confronted with the Rabbi’s spiritual radar, they break down and admit their errant ways. By turning away from transgression and setting out on a healthier spiritual life, their salvation is often just around the corner.

Rabbi Eliahu Leon Levi

To cite a few examples, recently a religious couple came for advice about a dangerous medical problem. Rabbi Leon told them that he “saw” that they were lax in their guarding the laws of family purity. Both the husband and wife adamantly denied it. Nevertheless, the Rabbi maintained his assertion. Finally, he asked if they separated their beds when the wife was in her niddah-menstrual period. The wife said, no, but that they didn’t touch one another at all. The Rabbi reminded them of a story in the Talmud where an angry wife comes before the Sages to protest the sudden death of her husband, a righteous, Torah scholar. It turns out that they slept in the same bed when the wife had not yet completed the seven clean, safety days after her menstrual bleeding had stopped, and the Sages strongly condemned their behavior, even though they didn’t engage in relations during that time (Shabbat 13A).

On another occasion, a man who was steadily losing his vision, came to the Rabbi, hoping for a miracle cure. Rabbi Leon explained that looking at forbidden pictures causes damage to the brain and the eyes, may Hashem have mercy. At first the man denied it, but when the Rabbi offered to go outside with him to check the trunk of his car and the stash of dirty magazines hidden there, the man broke down and admitted his evil habit.

Another time, a couple appeared before the Rabbi with their three young children, all of whom were born mute. They wanted a miracle so that their children could speak. When the Rabbi explained the source of the problem, suddenly the husband and wife became silent themselves. The husband was wont to kiss his wife’s private place, and that was why their children couldn’t speak.

The point is that even nice religious people have to do t’shuva. The six week period of “Shovavim” is the perfect time. If not now, when?

[An all-night “Shovavim” tikun with Rabbi Leon Levi will take place this Thursday night at the Challalay Tzahal Synagogue in Holon, 7 Savingon Street, starting at 11pm.]

The Real Cause of the War

When sufferings befall the Jewish Nation, there is a mitzvah to sound trumpets and cry out to G-d for salvation. Today, when missiles are falling in the north and the south, and when our soldiers are in moment to moment danger, we are beholden to cry out to Hashem in  repentance, as the Rambam writes:

“And this is one of the courses of repentance, that when tribulations befall the nation, and when the nation cries out and sound trumpets, everyone must know that the evil has come upon them because of their wicked deeds, as it is written, ‘Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withheld good things from you’ (Yirmeyahu, 5:25). And this (recognition of their evil ways) is what will cause the tribulations to depart from them. But if they will not cry out to G-d and not sound the trumpets, but say instead that this situation is just the normal ups and downs of life, nothing more than mere happenstance – behold this is the way of cruel arrogance that will bring them to cleave to their wicked behaviors. And it will bring further tribulation. This is what is written in the Torah: ‘And if you walk contrary with me, then I will walk contrary to you also in fury, and will chastise you seven times for your sins.’ That is to say, when I bring tribulation upon you in order that you shall return to Me  in repentance, if you say that what has befallen us is mere happenstance, then I will pour out my anger upon you in a happenstance manner as well” (Rambam, Laws of Fasts, Ch. 1:2-3).

Two types of repentance are involved in this mitzvah – national repentance, and the personal repentance of each individual Jew. As a nation, we have to repent for adopting the ways of the gentiles, for not conquering all of the Land of Israel, for surrender parts of our homeland to foreigners, for not expelling the enemy from our borders, and for lingering in the lands of the gentiles long after Hashem has allowed us to come home.

Personally, in order to avert further tribulation and appease Hashem’s anger, each and every Jew must repent for his individual wrongdoings, citing them one by one, in true remorse, with the commitment to turn from his, or her, evil ways and return to the paths of the Torah. Anyone who does not do this weakens the war effort and gives strength to Israel’s enemies.

For people who have trouble getting started, here’s an example:

"Thou shall not stray after your heart and your eyes"

“Please, G-d, from the bottom of my heart, I ask for Your forgiveness. Forgive me for all of my sins, those that I remember, and those that I don’t recall because they are so numerous, or because they happened long ago. Forgive me for eating non-kosher food. Forgive me for not keeping the Sabbath. Forgive me for not studying Torah when I had the free time. Forgive me for not honoring my parents. Forgive me for stealing. Forgive me for all of my sexual transgressions – for masturbating, for having pre-marital sex, for committing adultery, for having relations with a non-Jew, for not guarding the laws of family purity, for gazing lewdly at women and watching forbidden sites on the Internet and for violating the commandment ‘not to stray after your hearts and your eyes.’ Forgive me for speaking badly about other Jews. Forgive me for getting angry. Forgive me for being arrogant. Forgive me for not keeping Your commandments and for not serving You in joy….

If you haven’t done so already, why not do it now? Find a quiet corner and pour out your heart before G-d. Our soldiers are putting their life on the line in Gaza for us. This is the least we can do for them.         

Remember the Siege of Beirut

The War in Gaza started 28 years ago when Israel allowed Yassir Arafat and his band of PLO murderers to flee from Beirut, which the Israel Defense Forces held under siege during the first War in Lebanon.

PLO LEAVES BEIRUT

Arafat regrouped in Tunis and lied his way back to Israel, where he was rewarded with Yericho, Gaza, vast portions of Judea and Samaria, a stronghold in Ramallah, handshakes with Rabin and Peres on the White House Lawn, a Nobel peace prize, and enough arms and ammunition to subsequently slaughter and maim thousands of Jews.  Before dying of Aids, he enflamed the spirit of Arab nationalism into a terrorist cancer that brought forth the suicide bombers and rocket launchers of Hamas.

If we had killed him and his henchmen in Beirut, our soldiers wouldn’t have to be fighting in Gaza today.

The lesson is that victory will only be won in Gaza when we wipe out Hamas down to their very last sheik and soldier. But if we agree to a phony cease fire, and let them get away, you can be sure the rockets will return with even more fury and force.