A Sacred Time – Tevet 6
Rebbe Nachman taught that when we open a channel to share of ourselves with others, it means that we also become vulnerable to the negative spiritual energy that’s within them. He speaks about this dynamic in the context of outreach. To communicate effectively, there has to be an open conduit from heart to heart, but that works both ways.
Rebbe Nachman suggested an effective remedy for the potentially negative impact that working with other souls can have—he says that you keep the channel clean through fiery personal prayer, with special focus on self-examination. Just like a hot flame can “kasher” a vessel that’s been rendered un-kosher, our inner vessels also get completely purified when the holy fire of productive and positive judgment gets applied to ourselves..
The attribute associated with Tevet is anger, which is form of spiritual fire. Applied properly, the passionate heart is like a crucible that burns away our negative character traits.
