|
To-Do
List
for
the
Soul:
Cheshvan
According
to
the
Kabbalistic
text
Sefer
Yetzirah,
every
month
of
the
Jewish
calendar
is
associated
with
a letter
of
the
Hebrew
alphabet,
a sense
(one
of
the
five
senses
or
an
emotion),
a controlling
limb
of
the
body,
a zodiac
sign
and
one
of
the
twelve
tribes
of
Israel.
These
associations
give
us
important
clues
as
to
how
to
live
in
tune
with
the
spiritual
energies
of
each
month,
and
can
help
each
of
us
prepare
our
own
personal
to-do
list
for
the
soul.
Cheshvan
does
not
have
holidays
or
special
mitzvot
(commandments)
associated
with
it
-
yet.
This
month
is
closely
associated
with
Mashiach
(the
Messiah),
and
in
the
future
the
Third
Temple
will
be
inaugurated
in
Cheshvan.
That
"future"
may
not
be
so
far
away,
as
recent
events
have
shown.
Contemporary
Jewish
Torah
sages
agree
that
we
are
now
in
a
period
of
history
called
the
"birth
pangs
of
Mashiach."
Several
millennia
ago
the
Prophets
predicted
that
during
this
time
the
world
-
and
the
Jewish
people
in
particular
-
would
experience
sharp
contractions
of
pain
and
suffering
in
preparation
for
the
"birth"
of
the
messianic
era.
If
the
idea
of
the
imminent
coming
of
the
messianic
era
still
seems
hard
to
believe,
the
"birth
pangs"
experienced
during
the
last
100
years
have
been
all
too
real.
Pogroms
in
Russia
and
World
War
I,
the
Holocaust
and
World
II,
terrorist
attacks
against
Israelis
and
the
attack
on
the
Twin
Towers
of
the
World
Trade
Center
-
we
are
witnessing
on
a
global
level
a
reoccurring
pattern
of
unprecedented
destruction
to
life
and
property.
When
Mashiach
finally
comes,
one
of
his
tasks
will
be
to
increase
our
knowledge
of
God.
Once
the
entire
world
realizes
that
there
is
a
God
and
acknowledges
that
He
is
the
Ruler
of
the
Universe
there
will
no
longer
be
a
reason
for
bloodshed
and
destruction.
But
we
don't
have
to
wait
until
the
messianic
era
to
begin
the
work
of
increasing
our
knowledge
of
God's
presence
in
the
world.
The
four
weeks
of
Cheshvan
-
when
there
are
no
holidays
to
prepare
for
-
can
be
an
excellent
time
for
some
quiet
work
on
connecting
to
the
Divine
Soul
within
and
the
Divine
Presence
without.
Through
the
work
we
do
on
building
our
own
"Inner
Temple,"
we
will
be
helping
to
rebuild
the
Temple
in
Jerusalem
and
usher
in
a
new
era
of
world
peace
-
may
it
happen
speedily
and
within
our
days.
Letter:
"Nun."
The
letter
nun
has
two
forms
- a
common
form
for
when
it
appears
at
the
beginning
or
in
the
middle
of
a
word
and
a
final
form
for
when
it
appears
as
the
last
letter
of
a
word.
The
common
form
is
bent
over,
while
the
final
form
appears
as
a
straight
line.
Out
of
all
the
letters
of
the
Hebrew
alphabet,
the
concave-shaped
nun
is
considered
to
be
the
most
basic
vessel
-
its
essence
is
an
awareness
of
poverty
and
the
need
to
receive.
In
the
physical
world,
nun
is
an
awareness
of
a
physical
need.
In
the
world
of
Souls,
however,
the
poor
person
("ani")
becomes
the
humble
person
("ano")
who
makes
of
him-
or
herself
an
empty
vessel
to
receive
knowledge
of
God's
will.
What
is
God's
will?
Since
God
is
beyond
our
comprehension,
no
one
can
entirely
answer
that
question.
However,
the
Torah
gives
us
many
clues
as
to
how
God
would
like
us
to
behave.
When
Moses,
whom
the
Torah
describes
as
being
the
most
humble
of
all
men,
asks
to
receive
knowledge
of
God's
"glory,"
God
reveals
his
Thirteen
Attributes
(Exodus
34:6-7).
If
we
can
successfully
incorporate
these
attributes
of
compassion,
patience,
kindness,
truthfulness,
etc.,
into
our
own
everyday
encounters,
we
will
have
come
a
long
way
towards
turning
ourselves
into
a
vessel
that
is
capable
of
being
attune
to
God's
will.
To-do
List
for
the
Soul:
Turn
the
"Ani"
into
an
"Ano"
This
exercise
is
simple
but
powerful.
As
you
go
about
your
day
-
whether
at
home
or
at
the
office
or
at
the
grocery
store
-
take
a
minute
before
you
respond
to
each
and
every
question,
comment
or
interruption
(no
matter
how
small
or
insignificant
it
may
seem
to
be)
and
ask
yourself
the
following
question:
"How
would
God
like
me
to
respond
to
this
situation?"
The
temptation
is
great
to
instinctively
react
to
minor
irritations
with
anger,
to
join
in
with
the
office
gossip
and
slander
a
coworker,
or
to
be
inconsiderate
to
people
whom
we
deem
as
being
unimportant.
But
by
consciously
putting
God
into
the
picture
before
we
react
-
and
by
emulating
His
Attributes
of
kindness
and
compassion
and
patience
-
we
will
bring
peace
into
our
homes
and
workplaces
and
even
into
the
entire
world.
Sense:
Smell.
The
most
spiritual
of
all
the
senses
is
the
sense
of
smell
and
so
it
is
not
surprising
that
it
is
strongly
associated
with
Mashiach.
The
sense
of
smell
was
the
only
one
of
the
five
senses
that
was
not
involved
in
the
sin
that
took
place
in
the
Garden
of
Eden.
In
addition,
the
Hebrew
word
for
smell
-
"rei'ach"
-
is
closely
related
to
the
word
for
the
second
level
of
soul,
which
is
called
"ruach".
Just
as
we
like
to
surround
ourselves
with
things
that
give
off
a
good
smell
and
try
to
distance
ourselves
from
foul
odors,
so,
too,
do
we
usually
try
to
surround
ourselves
with
people
whose
souls
-
or
inner
essence
-
give
off
a
pleasing
"fragrance".
But
are
we
aware
of
what
our
own
souls
are
projecting?
It
can
happen
that
along
the
way
we
have
unknowingly
picked
up
a
bad
habit
that
puts
people
off.
Perhaps
we
are
always
late
for
appointments
or
we
constantly
interrupt
before
the
other
person
has
finished
talking.
Perhaps
we
never
say
thank
you
for
small
favors.
In
ways
large
or
small,
our
unintentional
actions
may
be
giving
off
a
foul
odor
that
makes
others
want
to
keep
their
distance
from
us.
The
following
exercise
takes
quite
a
bit
of
courage,
but
it
can
really
help
to
clear
the
air.
To-do
List
for
the
Soul:
Becoming
Aware
of
Your
Soul's
Fragrance
Ask
a
close
friend
(or
someone
else
that
you
absolutely
trust)
to
tell
you
if
there
is
one
habit
of
yours
that
is
irritating
-
and
that
would
make
you
a
more
pleasant
person
to
be
with
if
you
could
change
it.
Be
sure
to
thank
your
friend
for
the
reply,
and
then
work
on
changing
this
habit.
The
good
news
is
that
psychologists
say
that
it
takes
only
21
days
to
change
a
habit.
To
help
keep
track
of
your
progress,
record
your
successes
and
lapses
in
a
journal
at
the
end
of
each
day.
Controlling
Limb
of
the
Body:
Intestines.
The
intestines
("dakin,"
in
Hebrew)
are
responsible
for
breaking
masses
of
food
down
into
very
fine
particles
("dak").
Zodiac
Sign:
Scorpio
(scorpion).
According
to
the
Sages
of
the
Talmud,
the
deadly
scorpion
has
a
poisonous
bite
that
is
"cold."
In
contrast,
Mashiach
-
who
will
provide
the
antidote
for
this
cold
poison
-
will
burn
with
his
love
for
God
and
all
of
the
Jewish
people.
One
of
the
most
deadly
poisons
that
plague
today's
society
is
"Sinat
Chinam"
-
senseless
hatred.
When
we
hate
another
person
or
group
of
people,
we
usually
think
we
have
a
good
reason
for
our
hatred.
A
closer
look,
however,
usually
reveals
that
our
hatred
has
nothing
to
do
with
the
other
person.
Rather,
it
is
a
manifestation
of
our
own
ignorance,
fears
or
need
to
feel
important.
Sinat
Chinam
has
been
in
the
world
since
its
earliest
beginnings.
Cain
hated
Abel.
Ishmael
hated
Isaac.
Esau
hated
Jacob.
And
Joseph's
own
brothers
sold
him
into
slavery.
Today
Sinat
Chinam
manifests
itself
as
anti-Semitism,
anti-Americanism,
hatred
within
the
Jewish
community
for
other
groups
of
Jews,
or
any
other
hatred
between
different
groups
of
people.
After
more
than
6,500
years
of
hatred
and
war,
one
might
think
that
the
world
would
grow
tired
of
spilling
innocent
blood.
Yet
today
we
see
that
a
particularly
virulent
strain
of
Sinat
Chinam
has
entered
the
world:
terrorism.
Terrorism,
like
the
bite
of
the
scorpion,
is
a
"cold-blooded"
act
of
murder.
It
is
senseless
hatred
taken
to
its
extreme.
Months
and
even
years
can
go
by
as
the
terrorist
calmly
and
coolly
plans
the
attack.
The
terrorist
doesn't
know
his
victims
and
he
doesn't
have
a
reason
for
why
these
particular
people
-
as
opposed
to
others
-
will
be
killed.
He
ignores
the
sanctity
of
the
individual
life
-
the
"fine
particle"
-
to
achieve
a
political
goal
that
is
supposedly
for
the
wellbeing
of
the
masses.
When
Mashiach
comes
and
brings
into
the
world
an
awareness
of
the
absolute
supremacy
of
God,
Sinat
Chinam
will
disappear.
When
we
internalize
the
truth
that
we
are
all
created
in
God's
image
(Genesis
1:27)
we
will
finally
understand
that
no
one
has
the
"right"
to
destroy
-
either
by
hurtful
words
or
harmful
deeds
-
another
human
being,
who
is
first
and
foremost
a
creation
of
God.
Although
Mashiach
will
provide
the
ultimate
cure
for
the
disease
of
Sinat
Chinam,
there
are
many
things
we
can
do
already
to
sensitize
ourselves
to
this
basic
truth
that
we
are
all
"Tzelem
Elokim"
-
created
in
the
image
of
God.
To-do
List
for
the
Soul:
Seeing
the
Image
of
God
in
Every
Human
Being
Everyday
we
encounter
dozens
or
even
hundreds
of
people.
When
we
add
in
the
people
we
read
about
in
the
newspapers
or
see
on
TV,
the
numbers
soar
even
higher.
Most
of
the
time
we
don't
give
these
unknown
people
even
a
second's
thought.
Yet
each
and
every
one
of
these
people
is
a
manifestation
of
God.
They
all
have
something
of
value
to
bring
down
into
the
world
-
otherwise
God
wouldn't
have
created
them
and
they
wouldn't
be
here.
Although
we
do
not
have
the
time
to
discover
the
inner,
Godly
essence
of
each
individual
we
encounter,
we
can
take
the
time
to
recognize
that
the
people
we
meet
along
the
way
are
created
in
the
image
of
God.
The
next
time
you
are
in
a
public
place
such
as
an
elevator,
subway
car,
or
supermarket,
take
the
time
to
look
at
each
person
you
are
sharing
this
particular
moment
with
and
acknowledge
his
or
her
intrinsic
sanctity
by
silently
saying
the
words:
"Tzelem
Elokim"
(image
of
God).
Don't
be
discouraged
if
you
can't
see
the
other
person's
holiness
-
if
you
can't
understand
what's
so
special
about
this
person
that
God
chose
to
bring
him
or
her
into
the
world.
It's
not
your
job
to
understand
God.
Your
work
is
simply
to
recognize
that
every
human
being
has
a
Divine
spark
within.
As
we
attune
ourselves
to
recognize
the
God-given
sanctity
of
every
individual,
it
should
become
easier
to
dispel
"Sinat
Chinam"
from
our
own
hearts
and
replace
it
with
"Ahavat
Chinam"
-
"senseless
love".
Tribe:
Menashe.
Menashe,
Joseph's
eldest
child,
was
born
in
Egypt
-
in
exile.
His
name
means
to
forget,
as
Joseph
says:
"for
God
has
made
me
forget
all
my
toil…
(Genesis
41:51).
Menashe
is
connected
to
Mashiach
because
when
Mashiach
comes
and
ushers
in
a
new
era
of
peace
and
pleasure,
we
will
forget
all
the
toil
and
hardships
of
this
world
-
which
is
also
a
world
of
exile
from
the
Divine
presence.
When
the
letters
that
comprise
the
name
Menashe
are
turned
around,
they
spell
the
word
"Neshamah"
-
the
third
level
of
soul
-
which
is
the
highest
level
of
soul
that
we
can
recognize
within
ourselves.
(Although
we
know
there
are
two
higher
levels
of
soul
-
Chaya
and
Yechida
-
they
are
beyond
our
comprehension.)
Menashe
represents
the
power
to
reveal
the
Divine
soul
in
Israel.
The
process
of
revealing
the
Divine
soul
involves
an
element
of
forgetting
-
"forgetting"
the
animal
instincts
that
can
dominate
the
lowest
level
of
soul
("nefesh")
and
"forgetting"
the
emotional
tidal
waves
that
can
capsize
"ruach,"
the
second
level
of
soul.
When
we
are
in
touch
with
our
neshama,
we
can
use
our
powers
of
intellect
to
make
choices
that
are
in
line
with
the
Divine
will.
Although
most
of
us
are
very
familiar
with
our
animal
instincts
and
emotional
drives,
many
of
us
have
forgotten
that
we
have
a
Divine
soul
within
that
connects
us
with
God
and
imbues
us
with
holiness.
Whereas
the
previous
exercise
helped
us
recognize
the
sanctity
of
others,
the
following
visualization
can
help
us
become
aware
of
the
sanctity
("kedusha")
within
ourselves.
To-do
List
for
the
Soul:
Visualizing
Your
Intrinsic
Holiness
In
Chapter
28
of
Exodus
there
is
a
description
of
the
special
garments
of
the
High
Priest.
One
of
these
was
a mitre
that
the
High
Priest
wore
on
his
head.
Attached
to
the
mitre
with
blue
thread
was
a
small
gold
plate
that,
when
worn,
rested
on
the
High
Priest's
forehead
-
the
place
of
the
neshama.
Engraved
on
the
gold
plate
were
the
words:
Holy
to
the
Lord
("Kodesh
L'Hashem").
This
tangible
reminder
was
meant
to
stimulate
the
neshama
of
the
High
Priest
-
to
remind
him
at
all
times
that
he
is
imbued
with
a
Divine
soul
and
that
he
is
holy
to
God.
Since
all
of
us
-
no
matter
how
far
we
may
feel
from
God
-
have
this
Divine
soul,
we
can
borrow,
in
our
imagination,
this
garment
from
the
High
Priest
to
help
us
remember
that
we,
too,
have
a
neshama
that
is
holy
to
God.
- Close
your
eyes
and
concentrate
on
your
breath.
Inhale
and
exhale
10
times,
or
until
you
feel
relaxed.
- Visualize
that
you
are
wearing
on
your
forehead
this
gold
plate
engraved
with
the
words
"Holy
to
the
Lord".
- Slowly
say
the
words:
Holy
to
the
Lord
(or
"Kodesh
l'Hashem"
if
you
are
comfortable
with
the
Hebrew).
- Repeat
this
phrase
several
times.
Let
the
words
penetrate
through
the
skin
and
bones
of
your
forehead
and
sink
deep
into
your
mind,
the
home
of
the
neshama.
- Continue
to
repeat
the
words
"Holy
to
the
Lord"
until
you
feel
some
sort
of
response
from
your
neshama.
The
response
could
be
a
feeling
of
joy
or
freedom,
or
it
could
be
tears
of
sadness
or
regret.
It
might
even
be
a
feeling
of
embarrassment
if
you
are
not
used
to
thinking
of
yourself
as
being
holy.
- If
your
neshama
feels
a
desire
to
speak
these
words
to
your
ruach
or
nefesh
or
some
other
part
of
your
body,
let
it
do
so.
You
may
have
a
desire
to
sing
or
dance
the
words.
Let
your
neshama
tell
you
what
to
do.
- When
your
neshama
tells
you
that
it
is
done
with
this
exercise,
you
may
stop
and
slowly
open
your
eyes.
- This
exercise
can
be
repeated
several
times
a
day.
It's
a
great
way
to
use
"wait
time,"
such
as
when
you're
waiting
for
the
bus
or
in
line
at
the
check-out
counter.
The
more
you
visualize
these
words
emblazoned
on
your
forehead,
the
easier
you
will
find
it
to
come
in
touch
with
your
neshama
and
your
instrinsic
holiness
-
and
the
more
eager
you
will
become
to
continue
working
on
building
your
Inner
Temple.
*
Please
note
that
the
exercises
mentioned
above
should
not
be
construed
as
medical,
psychological,
or
professional
advice,
and
the
author
is
not
responsible
for
consequences
that
may
result
from
using
these
exercises.
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