Outpouring Of The Soul

"When the summer begins to approach, go out to meditate in the meadows. When every bush of the field begins to return to life and grow, they all yearn to be included in your prayer." Rebbe Nachman emphasized the greatness of spontaneous, improvised prayer uttered in one's own language and springing from the heart -- hitbodedut. This handbook of his teachings on prayer includes Rabbi Kaplan's scholarly introduction setting hitbodedut in its context in the history of Jewish prayer and meditation.

HH “This is the gateway to G-d, the righteous come through (/with) it!” (Psalms 118:20). Many great and famous tzaddikim (righteous/saints) asserted that they did not attain their lofty standing, except through this practice of personal prayer and dialog conducted frequently and constantly with G-d, especially in seclusion (Likutay Moharan, vol. 2, Torah 25). Whether one is G-d forbid in the utter abyss of hell and still sinking, May the Holy Merciful One G-d save us, or soaring and aspiring towards the utmost holiness, his entire survival and success is contingent on the words he pours out to G-d. The words are the paradigm of the soul, their expression will be the soul's determination. Outpouring of the Soul is the textbook for this, and as such, everyone should be very familiar with it, and keep it handy at all times. Rabbi Nachman of Breslov revealed that his entire enterprise is prayer. Many of his teachings are dedicated exclusively to prayer, and interspersed throughout the rest of his teachings, are many more important fundamentals of prayer. Outpouring of the Soul is a collection of all of these, and as such it is one of the Breslov classics. Outpouring of the Soul is a comprehensive compilation particularly addressing personal prayer. First, as an introduction, the book presents the various instances of personal prayer which are written in the Bible and the Scriptures, and then it follows with excerpts from the Talmud and other early works of our Sages. The main part of the book is a collection of all the teachings of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov intrinsic to prayer; how to pray, encouragement to pray, and so forth. Bringing down from the holy books Likutay Moharan, Sefer Hamidos (“Character – The Aleph Beth Book of Traits”), The Words of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman, The Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman, and from the holy books of Rabbi Nachman's chief disciple, Rabbi Nussun, including the holy book Likutay Aitzoas (A colleciton of directives/advice/remedies), the letters which are publish under the name Ullim Li'ti'roo'fa (Leaves for Healing), and Likutay Halachos. The final section of the book is an abridged excerpt from Likutay Halachos which explains extensively the idea of taking holy teachings and ideas and making prayers for them. As the name of the book already suggests, it is a guide and a manual to help a person really unburden himself before the One Holy Merciful G-d, and to be able to overcome all adversity and hardship, even in the most dire circumstances, may the Holy Merciful One spare us, one can prevail and rise above, with the help of these wondrous, awesome advice, remedies, and directives presented simply and understandably in this holy book. One should familiarize himself with the entire book, and keep it handy especially when things are tough G”F. Very great effort was made in the translation of this book to ensure that the most accurate and loyal word choice was provided. This book also includes the entire book, “Rabbi Nachman of Breslov; Who He Was and What He Said” which is available separately, by itself, as well. This book has around 100 teachings of Rabbi Nachman, and a transliteration of the Tikun Haklali – General/Comprehensive Rectification, as well as an English translation of “The Short Prayer” which many say daily, especially after the recital of the Tikun Haklalli. May we merit to fully utilize the powerful constructs and techniques brought down in this holy book. Na Nach Nachma Nachman MeUman!

Nefesh HaTzimtzum provides the single most comprehensive and accessible presentation of the teachings and worldview of the Vilna Gaon's primary student, Rabbi Chaim Volozhin. It is focused on Rabbi Chaim's magnum opus, Nefesh HaChaim, a work that has lain in almost total obscurity for nearly two centuries due to its deep Kabbalistic subject matter. Nefesh HaTzimtzum opens up the real depth of the ideas presented in Nefesh HaChaim together with all of Rabbi Chaim's related writings, making them accessible to the public for the first time in any language. In addition to the complete English translation of Nefesh HaChaim, Nefesh HaTzimtzum includes the full Hebrew text of Nefesh HaChaim and many other writings by Rabbi Chaim (with correspondingly hyperlinked English and Hebrew texts), along with in-depth explanations, an informative historical overview, an easily consumable innovative presentation layout and a full index. After centuries of confusion, extensive clarification is provided of the central Kabbalistic concept of Tzimtzum, or the secret of how an infinite God occupies a finite world. Most importantly, it unequivocally demonstrates that the key Kabbalists, including the Vilna Gaon, Rabbi Chaim Volozhin and the Baal HaTanya, all unanimously agreed on the underlying principles of the concept of Tzimtzum and that contrary to widespread historical misunderstanding, there was no fundamental dispute about the philosophical principles of Judaism between the Hasidim and the Mitnagdim. Based on this Nefesh HaTzimtzum shows that both Nefesh HaChaim and Sefer HaTanya present the same methodology for serving God which is rooted in their identical understanding of the concept of Tzimtzum. Nefesh HaTzimtzum is published in two volumes which are sold separately. This volume contains the complete Hebrew text of Nefesh HaChaim which is brought to life by an illuminating translation and incisive commentary. It additionally provides extensive translated source material necessary to properly understand the basic text. The text is further complemented by an informative introduction which includes a historical overview.

In the tradition of Thomas Merton’s spiritual classic The Seven Storey Mountain or Thomas Moore’s Care of the Soul, Waking Up to the Dark is a deeply resonant and personal project—a modern gospel that is an investigation of the relationship between darkness and the soul. The darkness Clark Strand is talking about here is literal: the darkness of the nighttime, of a world before electricity, when there was a rhythm to life that followed the sun’s rising and setting. Strand here offers penetrating insight into the spiritual enrichment that can be found when we pull the plug on our billion-watt culture. He argues that the insomnia so many of us experience as “the Hour of the Wolf” is really “the Hour of God”—a wellspring of rest and renewal, and an ancient reservoir of ancestral wisdom and inspiration. And in a powerful yet surprising turn, he shares with us an urgent message for the world, received through a mysterious young woman, about the changes we all know are coming. Waking Up to the Dark is a book for those of us who awaken in the night and don’t know why we can’t get back to sleep, and a book for those of us who have grown uncomfortable in real darkness—which we so rarely experience these days, since our first impulse is always to turn on the light. Most of all, it is a book for those of us who wonder about our souls: When the lights are always on, when there is always noise around us, do our souls have the nourishment they need in which to grow? Praise for Waking Up to the Dark “A celebration of the life-enriching—indeed, indispensable—properties of the night . . . Strand delivers a significant amount of experiential melding to existential thoughtfulness in this book about the sublime and elemental powers of the dark. . . . An exigent, affecting summons to rediscover the night.”—Kirkus Reviews “This book is small in size and mighty in spirit. It is at once a clarion call and a meditation. Sonorous, deep, soul-stirring, and profoundly comforting, Waking Up to the Dark is a rare book that will be pressed from one hand to the next with the urgent, whispered words: You must read this.”—Dani Shapiro, author of Devotion “In a modern world flooded with artificial light, Clark Strand reminds us what we have left behind in the dark. This beautiful, haunting meditation is filled with surprises and lost knowledge. Read it by candlelight—you will never forget it.”—Mitch Horowitz, author of Occult America and One Simple Idea “In this exhilaratingly original work, Clark Strand shows us that the key to enlightenment lies where we don’t want to look. It is hidden in plain sight, but we have to turn the lights off to find it.”—Mark Epstein, M.D., author of Going to Pieces Without Falling Apart and The Trauma of Everyday Life “Breathtaking and revolutionary, a small masterpiece for a world that has grown uncomfortable with the darkness and a poignant plea to take back the dark as the Hour of God, as the great friend of faith, awakening, and soul nourishment.”—Gail Straub, co-founder of Empowerment Institute and author of Returning to My Mother’s House “Wonder, solitude, quiet, intimacy, the holy—darkness holds these treasures and more. If we want to connect with God, argues Strand in this wise and compassionate book, we will ‘awaken to the dark.’ ”—Paul Bogard, author of The End of Night

The foremost Roman Catholic theologian of the middle ages, Thomas Aquinas, was hugely popular in the last days of the Orthodox Byzantine Empire, in contrast to his largely negative reception by later Orthodox commentators.This book is the first to explore the long history of Orthodox fascination with Aquinas.