Thursday, as the Kabbalistic "Shovavim" period ends, a new English pamphlet whose subject matter relates to "Shovavim" and deals with pornographic addiction was released by JewishSexuality.com.
The Kabbalistic "Shovavim" period draws to a close this week with special prayer gatherings all over Israel. The "Shovavim" is the six-week period (eight weeks in a Jewish leap year, such as this one) that starts with the Torah portion Shemot; it ends this year on Feb. 12.
According to Kabbalistic tradition, it is a time of the year most favorable to rectifying transgressions. Kabbalists explain that the text in the concluding Ne'ilah service of Yom Kippur, "At the time of the closing of the gates, open a gate for us," constitutes a reference to the Shovavim period, as a second gate in the year open for forgiveness.
According to Kabbalah, the Shovavim period is an especially fortuitous time for rectifying sexual transgressions such as adultery, pornography addiction, etc.
Thursday night, February 10, 2011, starting at 11PM, an all-night "Tikun," which means rectification, will be held at the Kotel (Western Wall) in the men's section's tunnel, led by the elder Kabbalist, Rabbi Eliahu Leon Levi of Bnei Brak. A women's section will be open as well.
Thousands of supplicants attend this annual event, taking part in the Torah learning, singing, and fervent prayers. On Friday morning, starting at 9:30, the revered Kabbalist Rabbi David Batzri will lead final "Shovavim" prayers before a large crowd at his HaShalom Yeshiva in Jerusalem, adjacent to the Machaneh Yehuda market.
For those who are unable to attend these events, a just-released pamphlet on the subject of "Shmirat HaBrit" is available for free downloaded at the JewishSexuality.com website. "Shmirat HaBrit" means "Guarding the Covenant," and the pamphlet deals with rectifying the spiritual damages caused by sexual wrongdoing. Arutz Sheva blogger Tzvi Fishman, who wrote the pamphlet and helps manage JewishSexuality.com, claims that Internet pornography is the number one spiritual danger facing the Jewish people today.
"Every week, another victim of Internet pornography gets in touch with me, seeking help," Fishman says. "Religious and non-religious, young people and adults, everyone is threatened by the easy availability of Internet pornography, whether it's via the immodest photos and videos on Yahoo or youtube, or the literally thousands of erotic sites that bring the hapless surfer to transgress the Torah prohibition 'not to stray after your hearts and your eyes' dozens of times in one sitting, doing terrible damage to the holy Jewish soul, and trapping the surfer in a frightening web of shame and deceit capable of destroying lives."
In the past, Fishman published a book on gambling addiction, and used his extensive research on the subject to formulate a unique 12 Torah-Step plan to help wean people from the addiction to Internet pornography. (It can be found in the Pornoholics Anonymous section of the website.) Click here to view the new 70-page "Shmirat HaBrit" pamphlet, which dramatically illustrates the depth and danger of the problem. via israelnn.com