Come this time of year, I do what I can to alert people to take advantage of the special "Shovavim" period, which has the power, according to the great masters of Kabbalah, to cleanse a person from the stains of sexual transgression. It’s really a wonderful opportunity. After all, who doesn’t make mistakes in this area?

Already, on billboards throughout Israel, posters in assortment of bright, attractive colors are announcing the weekly "Shovavim" prayers and fasts. The word "Shovavim" forms the initial letters of the six consecutive Torah portions beginning with the portion "Shemot." According to the Kabbalistic tradition, this six week period, paralleling the Torah's account of the Exodus from Egypt, is especially conducive to rectifying sexual transgressions, known as transgressions to the Brit (Arizal, Shar HaYichudim, 4:3). Several in-depth articles on “Shovavim” and recommended ways of atonement are posted (homepage top right) on our www.jewishsexuality.com website. For someone who can’t attend the special prayer gatherings, studying the articles on the site (and adopting some of the suggested methods of rectification) is the next best thing to being there.