Chassidic HealingTeachings on Physical and Spiritual Healing

Translated from the letters ofThe Rebbe Rayatz" " "Compiled byRabbi Yehoishophot Oliver

ContentsAdmitting Sickness3Standard and Individualized Medicines3The Common Neglect to Imbibe Spiritual Medicine4Treating Spiritual Denial and Delusion4Various Methods of Healing Spiritual Ailments5Standard Interim Recommendations6Direct and Indirect Healing7Listening to doctors8Overcoming ones nature through Kabbolas Ol8The damage of depression9Bitterness only in the proper measure10Recovery through bitachon11The sick person and his spouse should undertake to increase in Mitzvah observance11

Admitting SicknessKnowledge[footnoteRef:1] of the sickness is half the cure. [1: Sefer HaSichos 5703, p. 18.]

~~~There[footnoteRef:2] are physical sicknesses of which the sick person may not be aware, and only after undergoing various tests does he learn the truth. Thus, it is vital that the sick person is aware: [2: Adapted from Igros Kodesh Admur HaRayatz, Vol. 4, pp. 353-354.]

1) that he is sick, and comes to desire and yearn to become well;2) that his health can be restored, and maintains full hope and trust that with the help of Hashem, it will.One must follow these conditions, and to an even greater extent, with regard to sicknesses of the soul. Guidance in applying these two criteria can be found in the Chassidic texts, under the direction of a chossid who engages in the study of Chassidus and has expert knowledge of the ways of chassidim.Standard and Individualized MedicinesIn[footnoteRef:3] general, there are two types of medicines: [3: Adapted from Igros Kodesh Admur HaRayatz, Vol. 4, p. 28-29.]

A standard medicine that is already prepared, that the doctor can prescribe for a more wide-ranging or common disease. For example, there is a standard medicine prescribed for a person with a very high temperature or a very low temperature. A medicine prescribed for a specific illness only after the doctor has carefully examined the patient and determined his specific illness. This medicine must be prepared according to specific requirements, which takes time.The same holds true of spiritual cures: There are spiritual sicknesses of a more typical nature, such as an intense desire for material indulgence, or a coldness and apathy to the holiness of Torah and Mitzvos. These conditions have certain standard cures, as described in the holy books of Mussar and Chassidus, and they can even be prescribed by a non-expert. Other spiritual sicknesses need to be correctly diagnosed by an expert spiritual guide, who will then prescribe the appropriate medicine. For those who suffer from these sicknesses, standard medicines will be ineffective.The Common Neglect to Imbibe Spiritual MedicineThere[footnoteRef:4] is a common problem with spiritual healing. People are liable to incorrectly treat healing the soul differently from healing the body: [4: Adapted from Igros Kodesh Admur HaRayatz, Vol. 4, p. 29.]

If a doctor has prescribed a medicine, it must be administered. No patient will think that enlisting the services of an expert doctor and receiving a diagnosis and a prescription, and then ordering the medicine and laying it sitting on his desk is enough to cure him. On the contrary, then the patients condition will only worsen. Rather, everyone knows that in order to become healed one must actually take the medicine, and according to the frequency and dosage that the doctor prescribed.This is the sensible approach. But oddly, in spiritual matters, many people do not think and conduct themselves in this way. Instead, they approach a person for advice and guidance, which they then receive, yet they then neglect to follow through, thinking that the very fact that they spoke to a spiritual guide is itself sufficient. Some people even feel truly bitter about their low spiritual state, and yet they still fail to follow the advice given them.Treating Spiritual Denial and DelusionWe[footnoteRef:5] also find with respect to some bodily maladies, may Gd save us, that the sufferer may not only be unaware that he is sick, but mistakenly considers himself healthy. Some deeply afflicted people even consider the healthy people to be sick, and themselvesthe sick onesas healthy. [5: Adapted from Igros Kodesh Admur HaRayatz, Vol. 4, p. 30.]

These emotionally sick people typically do not seek treatment; some of them even oppose it, claiming that they are healthy. Some of these people may even be very cleveroriginal thinkers, talented orators, and the like.The root of this sickness is the fantasies that these people have about themselves. One person has delusions of grandeurhe fancies himself the leader of the community or the city. Another views himself as the smartest fellow in the country, and the third is afflicted with yet another illusion.They are all so busy with their imagination that they have little time to eat and sleep, and when they are brought to the people assigned to heal them, they claim that they are the healthy ones.The person suffering from spiritual delusion and denial is even worse off than one who suffers from psychological delusion and denial, for in the case of the former, there is usually someone to help, while those who suffer from the latter are typically abandoned, and their sickness worsens, and become gradually more ingrained, and they degenerate more and more as time passes.The essential light of the philosophy of Chassidus has the power to heal all spiritual plagues and sicknesses. However, for it to work it is crucial that one imbibe the medicine according to the rules outlined in the works of the philosophy of Chassidus, which is to be found in the words of the Rebbeim.Various Methods of Healing Spiritual AilmentsA[footnoteRef:6] person consists of physical limbs and the faculties of the soul vested in each of those respective limbs [such as the faculties of sight in the eyes, of hearing in the ears, and so on]. The limbs of the body thus act as the vessel for these faculties, and physical health depends upon the wellness of both these elements. [6: Adapted from Igros Kodesh Admur HaRayatz, Vol. 4, pp. 352-353.]

Thus, the first step in healing is to identify the general nature of the sicknesswhether it consists of a deficiency in the physical limbs or in the faculties of the soul vested in those limbs.Likewise, spiritual sicknesses may also stem from different causes: The bodys natural coarseness: Some people are born with a refined, sensitive body, while others are born with a coarse, degenerate body. The soul faculties: The person may be naturally inclined to certain bad traits, such as arrogance, deceit, lustful thoughts, a jealous eye, and the like. Bad habits: Sometimes the root of the sickness lies in neither of the above. Rather, the person has simply fallen into bad habits. These bad habits may stem from an immoral education or from an immoral environment. Although the state of ones physical health and his souls faculties play a significant role, the root of the sickness may lie in ones habits.~~~Cures[footnoteRef:7] vary both in their intrinsic makeup and in the way they are used: Some cures involve guidance, education, and habit-forming, while others involve shattering, severance, and coercion. [7: Igros Kodesh Admur HaRayatz, Vol. 4, p. 355-356.]

Generally speaking, a sickness in the souls faculties is cured through the former approach, while a sickness that stems from the bodys coarseness stems is cured through the latter approach. Standard Interim RecommendationsOne[footnoteRef:8] cannot begin treating a patient until the location of the sickness and its root cause have been ascertained. Until then, one can only prescribe proper conduct in general, and instruct the patient to engage in certain practices and avoid others. [8: Adapted from Igros Kodesh Admur HaRayatz, Vol. 4, p. 353.]

Following a schedule for sleeping, eating, drinking, and other aspects of a proper lifestyle will certainly benefit the patients health greatly, but will not cure his sickness. For this purpose an individual medicine must be prescribed (in addition to following a healthy lifestyle, as mentioned above).Moreover, the patient must constantly rouse himself with the desire and yearning to recover, and the intense hope that Hashem will heal him, as it is written, The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity.[footnoteRef:9] [9: Mishlei 18:14.]

The same holds true for treating spiritual ailments. It is true that until the exact location of the sickness and its root cause is identified, the person cannot be healed individually. However, it is nonetheless certain that proper conduct will strengthen and elevate him, with the help of Hashem. This conduct should include: Doing good: An organized approach to doing good deeds by performing Mitzvos, fixing times for Torah study, and acquiring good character traits, Rejecting evil: Taking care in ones speech to avoid idle chatter, shutting ones eyes from seeing evil and blocking ones ears from hearing wicked speech.[footnoteRef:10] When discussing the condition of another person, the way that he runs his home, and so on, one must also be vigilant, for praise of another person can often end up in denigrating that person and his home. This may contain a significant amount of the filth of gossip, talebearing, jealousy, hatred, the spreading of malicious lies, and the like. [10: Cf. Yeshaya 33:15.]

And yet the above conduct will not be sufficient to cure a person of his illness, as mentioned.Direct and Indirect HealingIn[footnoteRef:11] general, there are two approaches to healing the body: [11: Adapted from Igros Kodesh Admur HaRayatz, Vol. 4, p. 354.]

1) healing the afflicted or weak organ or faculty directly;2) bolstering the healthy organs and faculties so that they may overcome the sick or weak organ or faculty, and heal it.In terms of spiritual maladies, these two approaches correspond to Teshuva and good deeds, respectively. Both need to be planned out carefully, such that each is done in its proper time, in accordance with the dictum: Live in them.[footnoteRef:12] This involves an organized life directed by Torah, with the distinct emphasis laid by the philosophy of Chassidus, which is able to provide accurate guidance for every person on his level, whether a businessman or a full-time Torah scholar. [12: Vayikra 18:5.]

Listening to doctorsYour[footnoteRef:13] neglect to take the medicine from [forbidden] fat as per the doctors orders is wrong and against the Halacha. [13: Igros Kodesh Admur HaRayatz, Vol. 4, pp. 229-230.]

The Rebbe, the Tzemach Tzedek stated:One who is careful to follow the words of the sages and perform Mitzvos in a beautiful manner does a wondrous thing, as our sages say: [Gd says:] The words of the sages are sweet for Me.[footnoteRef:14] Likewise, and to an even greater degree, one who disregards a doctors orders in an area vital to health and healing has sinnedeven if he was instructed to consume something forbidden. [14: Avodah Zara 35a, Rashi.]

Overcoming ones nature through Kabbolas OlYou[footnoteRef:15] ask me for a solution to your natural inclination to constantly tell jokes. You cannot restrain yourself, and even after you feel guilty over it, all your resolutions to abandon the way of constant joking are not effective for longer than several days. [15: Igros Kodesh Admur HaRayatz, Vol. 4, p. 355.]

Your soul will only be saved though Kabbolas Olby placing a bit and a rein on your mouth, not to speak anything until you have considered carefully whether to speak or be silent. This is what you should do daily: when you wake up in the morning, place a bit and a rein on your mouth, and do not diver your attention from it the entire day, until you sleep.The task of Kabbolas Ol in general, and in overcoming a natural trait to which one has become accustomed in particular, is extremely difficult. However, once one realizes that this is needed in order to save ones soul, one ought to compel oneself to overcome the test with tremendous might. At first it will be very difficult for you, but then Hashem will help you, and from day to day the struggle will become easier, until, with the help of Hashem you will eliminate the base trait from within, and reach a state of spiritual illumination.The damage of depressionI[footnoteRef:16] have heard that you are worried and sad, and consequently you are neglecting your health and proper behavior in your eating, drinking, and sleeping. This is obviously disturbing your work to disseminate Torah and strengthen those who engage in Avodah and study Torah. [16: Igros Kodesh Admur HaRayatz, Vol. 4, pp. 356-357.]

All those who study the teachings of Chassidus know that the worry and depression, even when it stems from concern over ones spiritual level, is a wicked trait. Not only should one distance oneself from it, but one should uproot it at the root, for it opens the way for all kinds of evil.Our sages have said: Such is the craft of the evil inclination.[footnoteRef:17] The bestial soul [another term for the evil inclination] is a seasoned craftsman, and his craft is to come to each person with a different tactic. To the small, the average, and the greateach one he approaches on that persons level. [17: Shabbos 105b.]

Sometimes the bestial soul comes wrapped in a Tallis not his ownwith the appearance of the good inclination. He reminds the person of his personal faults, and rebukes and torments him. He advises the person to study works of mussar and threatens him, and his entire goal is to degrade the person and distract him from the tasks that he needs to do.This is the entire intention of the evil inclinationto preoccupy and distract the person from engaging in good things. When he sees that he can only accomplish this through a method apparently related to fear of Heaven, he will slip on this garment in order to perpetrate his wicked plot. This is why he is called a craftsman, for his enticements are committed in such a way that when he reprimands and torments the person for something not good, or bad, it is impossible to recognize his true facethat in reality this is the evil inclination.Therefore our holy fathers, the Rebbeim, decreed that worry and depression, even from ones spiritual state, is a wicked character trait, and they forbade it completely and utterly. They sentenced it to the four death penalties, that it be banished from the domain of chassidim, and uprooted until no minute trace remains, for even that brings great damage.Bitterness only in the proper measureConcerning[footnoteRef:18] the topic of worry about ones spiritual state, we find an entire, systematic literature [from the Rebbeim of Chabad] concerning the practice of bitterness from time to time, at select, fixed, and auspicious occasions. [18: Igros Kodesh Admur HaRayatz, Vol. 4, pp. 357-358.]

And yet even then, our holy fathers, the Rebbeim, may their merit protect us, strongly warned and instructed that this bitterness be brief. This demonstrates the tremendous damage that this medicine is liable to bring, just as a very powerful medicine will cure the person when several drops are administered, but will be dangerous if several more drops are added. So is it with the practice of bitterness, that it will only heal when practiced in the proper measure.It is known that bitterness leads to joy, for after one has become bitter over the sin of which he reminded himself, and come to fully regret it, he is joyful, and increases his efforts in his divine service to do good. In this way not only is his sin atoned for, but Hashem shines for him with the light of Torah and Mitzvos.Recovery through bitachonIt[footnoteRef:19] is written in the holy Torah that a persons mood can weaken his sickness: When the person encourages himself, Hashem assists him and heals him. Be strong in your hope that Hashem, may He be blessed, will heal you, and He will. [19: Igros Kodesh Admur HaRayatz, Vol. 5, p. 341.]

The sick person and his spouse should undertake to increase in Mitzvah observanceOur[footnoteRef:20] sages say that one should take an oath in a time of distress.[footnoteRef:21] The sick person should take upon himself an extra measure of caution in his observance of Mitzvos with fear of Hashem in the observance of Shabbos, Tefillin, prayer, and keeping kosher. His wife should also resolve to observe Mitzvos with fear of Hashem in family purity, observance of Shabbos and keeping kosher. In this merit Hashem will heal the sick person. Hashem will bring him to recover, and strengthen him materially and spiritually. [20: Igros Kodesh Admur HaRayatz, Vol. 12, p. 41.] [21: Chullin 2b, Tosafos s.v. avol omar]