| Rebbe Nachman of Breslov taught… |
| Hisbodedus-meditation— inner-directed, unstructured, active self-expression before G-d— is the highest path of all. Take it. (The Empty Chair, p. 91*) |
| What does this mean to me? |
| Rebbe Nachman explained that although the practice of hisbodedus does not take the place of formal prayer, it does have certain advantages over even the loftiest prayers set down by sages. While their prayers were invested with prophetic insight and deep Kabbalistic significance, they can be compared to a broad highway. The road is easier to travel because it’s already been paved, but all of the highwaymen lie in wait along its length, because it’s the road that everyone travels upon. The path of hisbodedus can be as raw as the narrow track that I barely manage to hack out with my knife, in an area of the wild where no one goes. It may be rough going, but the robbers are nowhere to be found…because I have blazed a new trail. My prayer might be simple, but it has a great advantage over all others…because it’s mine. |
| A prayer: |
| Dear G-d, help me talk to You About whatever is on my mind, And especially about my desire to be close to You. Give me time to be alone, Let me pour out my heart to You We encourage hearing your feedback and may anonymously publish your remarks. Please send email to: [email protected] *“The Empty Chair: Finding Hope and Joy – Timeless Wisdom from a Hasidic Master, Rebbe Nachman of Breslov” by Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, Adapted by Moshe Mykoff and The Breslov Research Institute, 1994. Permission granted by Jewish Lights Publishing, Woodstock, VT, www.jewishlights.com. |
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