Many of them chose to work as shephards where they could be alone in the fields for long periods of time.
QUESTION: Can you name some examples of ancestors who spent time alone in the wilderness to hear the voice of G!d?
Hitbodedut has three stages
1) Physical Isolation: boded being alone in nature
2) Spiritual Isolation, the ego disolves and the true soul point within emerges
3) Bitul Hayesh- sensing the unity of all being - that in each moment all that exists is being born out of the void
King David practiced Hitbodedut in the hills of Jerusalem and in his bed before sleep every night. He wrote in Psalms,
"My flesh and heart fade away while the Eternal One becomes the Rock of my heart and portion forever... I have placed my essence in Hashem my God, To express all Your transcendence." (73:26)
The best way to achieve this is alone in nature:
"...the imagination which is associated with the meditative faculty becomes activated through contemplation in God's creation..."
(R' Avraham Maimonides son of Rambam 1186-1237)
"One becomes so immersed in his contemplation that he enters the state of trance and mental quietude, perceiving the Unity of God like one who can actually sense it (physically). " (Aryeh Kaplan p. 8 Meditation and the Bible)
Nachman of Breslov, Likutey Moharan II, 25; Rabbi
HOW AND WHY TO PRACTICE
"Set aside time each day to meditate and pray alone in a room or some meadow and express your innermost thoughts and feelings and personal prayers to God. Use every kind of appeal and argument. Use words that will endear you to God and win His favor. Plead with God to draw you closer and let you truly serve Him. This is Hitbodedut.
You should hold these conversations in whatever language you speak best. Our set prayers are said in Hebrew, but if this is not one's native language, it is difficult to use it to give expression to all one's innermost thoughts and feelings and the heart is less drawn after the words. It is easier to pour out your heart and say everything you need in your own language.
Hitbodedut is of the greatest value. It is the way to come closer to God, because it includes everything else. No matter what you lack in your service of God, even if you feel totally remote from His service, tell God everything and ask Him for all that you need.
Hitbodedut is the highest level: it is greater than everything."
“In the winter all plants and grasses die. Their strength is dissipated and they are like the dead. But when the summer comes (Spring), they awaken and return to life. It says: "And Isaac went out to meditate in the field" (Genesis 24:63). The Talmud teaches us that this meditation was prayer. When summer begins to approach (Spring) it is very good to meditate in the fields. This is a time when you can pray to God with longing and yearning. The Hebrew word for meditation and prayer is SIChah. The Hebrew word for a bush of the field is SIaCh. When every bush (SIaCh) of the field begins to return to life and grow, they all yearn to be included in prayer and meditation (SIChah).” (Rabbi Nachman's Wisdom #98)
(א) עוֹד אָמַר לְעִנְיַן הִתְבּוֹדְדוּת, שֶׁהָיָה דַּרְכּוֹ זַ"ל לְזָרֵז מְאֹד בָּזֶה לִהְיוֹת רָגִיל מְאֹד בְּהִתְבּוֹדְדוּת, לְפָרֵשׁ שִׂיחָתוֹ לִפְנֵי הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ בְּכָל יוֹם וָיוֹם.,וְאָמַר: שֶׁאֲפִלּוּ כְּשֶׁאֵין יְכוֹלִין לְדַבֵּר כְּלָל, אֲפִלּוּ כְּשֶׁמְּדַבְּרִין רַק דִּבּוּר אֶחָד, גַּם־כֵּן טוֹב מְאֹד.,וְאָמַר: שֶׁאֲפִלּוּ אִם אֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לְדַבֵּר רַק דִּבּוּר אֶחָד, יִהְיֶה חָזָק בְּדַעְתּוֹ, וִידַבֵּר אוֹתוֹ הַדִּבּוּר כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה פְּעָמִים בְּלִי שִׁעוּר וָעֵרֶךְ, וַאֲפִלּוּ אִם יְבַלֶּה כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה יָמִים בְּדִּבּוּר זֶה לְבַד גַּם זֶה טוֹב. וְיִהְיֶה חָזָק וְאַמִּיץ, וְיַרְבֶּה לְדַבֵּר אוֹתוֹ הַדִּבּוּר פְּעָמִים אֵין מִסְפָּר, עַד שֶׁיְּרַחֵם עָלָיו הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ, וְיִפְתַּח פִּיו, וְיוּכַל לְפָרֵשׁ שִׂיחָתוֹ.
WHAT IF I CAN'T THINK OF SOMETHING TO SAY?
(1) Rebbe Nachman said more on the topic of hitbodedut. The Rebbe, of blessed memory, avidly encouraged the regular practice of hitbodedut, speaking with God each and every day.,He said: Even when one cannot speak at all, or says only a single thing—it is also very good!,He also said: Even if a person can only say one thing, she should be resolute and say that thing over and over again, endlessly. And even if she spends many, many days saying nothing but this thing—that, too, is good! She should be strong and courageous, and continue to say that thing countless times until God takes pity on her and opens her mouth, enabling her to elaborate her words.
Find a Mateh (Staff) to bring with you like the forefathers and prophets did.
Let it pull you and guide you to a sacred makom (place) to practice hitbodedut.
When you arrive there you can draw a circle around yourself to mark the spot as sacred. Some do this seven times. Do not leave that place until you are ready to end your session.
- Find a Comfortable position, Close your Eyes,
- BREATHE deep hold and slowly release
- Breathing in “Sha” – out “lom”
- Feel the Earth holding you up, proprioception - sensing body in space
- Feel your body touching the earth
- Imagine you are like a tree and have roots and tendrils deep in the earth
- Tendrils wrapped around the core of Mother Earth
- Feel your clothes on your body
- Feel temperature of the air on your skin – the breeze caressing your skin
- Breathe filling up inside and expanding chest and abdomen
- Feel your Breath moving in deep hold and release slowly “Sha-lom”
- Scan the trunk of your body, where is energy flickering around like a flame
- breath in through your nose, notice the temperature and humidity of the air
- Sniff in the air like a dog - what do you smell
- Now breath in through your mouth and taste the air – what’s different about the taste from the smell? What is the same?
- Now expand your attention outward to the sounds around you
- What is the furthest sound you can hear?
- Where is the nearest sound?
- Can you hear your own breath? “Sha-lom”
- Slowly turn around and notice how the sound changes
- Stop at points along the way to redraw your mental map
- Find a point on the horizon
- Focus on that point like you have binoculars or eagle eyes
- Draw a circle with your pointer fingers around that point
- Notice the movement the shapes and colors in that 3D space
- Expand your circle slowly until it feels like your head is one giant eye
- Wiggle your fingers at the edges – notice movents
- No need to name anything just moving patterns of shapes and colors
Take a moment to develop a very detailed question (you can do this in writing) about some aspect in your life where you need clarity. In developing this question for God, God will help you clarify the answer. The more focused and sincere you are in asking the question, the more you will open up the channel for the truth.
Imagine that the truth is already there, you just need God to clarify it for you.
Write a letter to God make sure to address God as “You”
Reb Nachman’s Prayer
Grant me the ability to be alone;
may it be my custom to go outdoors each day
among the trees and grass - among all growing things
and there may I be alone, and enter into prayer,
to talk with the One to whom I belong.
May I express there everything in my heart,
and may all the foliage of the field -
all grasses, trees, and plants -
awake at my coming,
to send the powers of their life into the words of my prayer
so that my prayer and speech are made whole
through the life and spirit of all growing things,
which are made as one by their transcendent Source.
May I then pour out the words of my heart
before your Presence like water, O L-rd,
and lift up my hands to You in worship,
on my behalf, and that of my children!
Likutei Tefillah, 2:11
- Go somewhere where you can speak as freely as possible. (A meadow or forest is ideal, and Rebbe Nachman taught that the plants around us will help to awaken our hearts and join us in prayer.)
- Start speaking. You can use whatever words you have, but Rebbe Nachman teaches: It is good to begin your hitbodedut by saying: Today I am starting to attach myself to You! Start anew every day. If yesterday was good, I hope that today will be even better. If yesterday wasn’t the way it should have been, well today is a new beginning and it will be good (Tzaddik 437).
- Just keep talking. This is the key to Hitbodedut. Whatever comes: heresy, rage, love, indifference, passion, joy, jealousy, anguish, elation. Even if what you say is “I don’t know what else to say,” just keep speaking. The goal is to get into a kind of meditative “flow” or spiritual stream of consciousness.
- Listening - A real conversation involves listening as well as talking. The Creator is always communicating with us, we just need to attune our hearts to listen deeply enough. Listen to the birds, wind in the trees, insects and all the sounds and dance of colors around you. What are they saying to your heart?
- Offer gratitude. Take a moment at the end of your practice to offer thanks for whatever happened (we’ll do this when we come back together). What has shifted in you during the practice? Is it possible to express in words, music or any other medium?