Tikkun HaKlali
Encyclopedia
Tikkun HaKlali also known as The General Remedy, is a set of ten Psalms
whose recital serves as teshuvah
(repentance) for all sins — in particular the sin of wasted seed through involuntary nocturnal emission
or masturbation
. The Tikkun HaKlali is a unique innovation of Rebbe
Nachman of Breslov
, and its recital is a regular practice of Breslover
Hasidim
to this day.
im of all generations, especially Rebbe Nachman, and several verses which are customarily recited before any saying of Psalms. The recital of the ten Psalms is followed by a prayer composed by Reb Noson
, the Rebbe's foremost disciple, asking God for forgiveness from sin.
Rebbe Nachman's main teaching on Tikkun HaKlali was given on Shavuot
5566 (May 23, 1806). Yet he did not reveal the specific ten Psalms of the Tikkun HaKlali until April 1810. At that time, Rebbe Nachman revealed the specific ten Psalms to two of his closest disciples, Rabbi Aharon of Breslov and Rabbi Naftali of Nemirov, making them witnesses for an unprecedented vow:
In the accompanying lesson, in which he enumerated and discussed the allusions of the specific ten Psalms, Rebbe Nachman asserted:
(Covenant) which God made with the Jewish people. In return for absolute allegiance to God on the part of the nation, God promised to be their God and to give them the land of Israel as an inheritance (Genesis 17:7-8).
As a mark of this Covenant, God commanded Abraham
to perform the mitzvah
of brit milah
(circumcision):
By choosing this specific organ to bear the sign of the Covenant, God indicated the tremendous power of the sexual organ. When it is used in the context of marriage, the sexual organ is elevated and man becomes a partner with God in creation. But when it is used for personal gratification, it distances a person from God and leaves him unfulfilled, frustrated and depressed. Rebbe Nachman taught that the antithesis of the joy one should feel by uniting with a marriage partner and performing all of God's other mitzvot
is depression, a state which is in the domain of Lilith
, the name of the kelipah associated with unholiness.
The Tikkun HaKlali comes to rectify the sin of misusing the sexual organ and, by extension, undoes the root feelings of depression that lie at the core of any sin. It does this through the power of Psalms (Tehillim in Hebrew), which are songs of praise and rejoicing in God.
The word Tehillim has the same gematria
as the word Lilith (with five units added for each of the letters of Lilith). Moreover, the word Tehillim has the same gematria as the two names of God, El and Elohim, which have the power to release the seed from the kelipah. Thus, by reciting these ten Psalms, the wasted seed is released from the forces of evil and rectification is complete.
Rebbe Nachman further taught that the Tikkun HaKlali can rectify all spiritual and physical flaws or maladies. He stated,
For this reason, many Breslover Hasidim recite the Tikkun HaKlali every day. Women also recite it as a general rectification for sin. Its recital is a cornerstone of any visit to the Rebbe's grave, as per his promise.
Psalms
The Book of Psalms , commonly referred to simply as Psalms, is a book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Bible...
whose recital serves as teshuvah
Repentance in Judaism
Repentance in Judaism known as teshuva , is the way of atoning for sin in Judaism.According to Gates of Repentance, a standard work of Jewish ethics written by Rabbenu Yonah of Gerona, if someone commits a sin, a forbidden act, he can be forgiven for that sin if he performs teshuva, which...
(repentance) for all sins — in particular the sin of wasted seed through involuntary nocturnal emission
Nocturnal emission
A nocturnal emission involves either ejaculation during sleep for a male, or lubrication of the vagina for a female. It is also called a wet dream, and is sometimes considered a type of spontaneous orgasm....
or masturbation
Masturbation
Masturbation refers to sexual stimulation of a person's own genitals, usually to the point of orgasm. The stimulation can be performed manually, by use of objects or tools, or by some combination of these methods. Masturbation is a common form of autoeroticism...
. The Tikkun HaKlali is a unique innovation of Rebbe
Rebbe
Rebbe , which means master, teacher, or mentor, is a Yiddish word derived from the Hebrew word Rabbi. It often refers to the leader of a Hasidic Jewish movement...
Nachman of Breslov
Nachman of Breslov
Nachman of Breslov , also known as Reb Nachman of Bratslav, Reb Nachman Breslover , Nachman from Uman , was the founder of the Breslov Hasidic movement....
, and its recital is a regular practice of Breslover
Breslov (Hasidic dynasty)
Breslov is a branch of Hasidic Judaism founded by Rebbe Nachman of Breslov a great-grandson of the Baal Shem Tov, founder of Hasidism...
Hasidim
Hasidic Judaism
Hasidic Judaism or Hasidism, from the Hebrew —Ḥasidut in Sephardi, Chasidus in Ashkenazi, meaning "piety" , is a branch of Orthodox Judaism that promotes spirituality and joy through the popularisation and internalisation of Jewish mysticism as the fundamental aspects of the Jewish faith...
to this day.
Form
The Tikkun HaKlali consists of the following ten Psalms said in this order: 16, 32, 41, 42, 59, 77, 90, 105, 137, and 150. Each recital is preceded by a paragraph expressing one's desire to bind himself to the tzadikTzadik
Tzadik/Zadik/Sadiq is a title given to personalities in Jewish tradition considered righteous, such as Biblical figures and later spiritual masters. The root of the word ṣadiq, is ṣ-d-q , which means "justice" or "righteousness", also the root of Tzedakah...
im of all generations, especially Rebbe Nachman, and several verses which are customarily recited before any saying of Psalms. The recital of the ten Psalms is followed by a prayer composed by Reb Noson
Nathan of Breslov
Nathan of Breslov , also known as Reb Noson, born Nathan Sternhartz, was the chief disciple and scribe of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, founder of the Breslov Hasidic dynasty. Reb Noson is credited with preserving, promoting and expanding the Breslov movement after the Rebbe's death...
, the Rebbe's foremost disciple, asking God for forgiveness from sin.
History
Rebbe Nachman first revealed the existence of a rectification for involuntary nocturnal emissions in 1805. At that time, he stated that any ten Psalms would serve as a rectification, since they correspond to the ten expressions of song and praise on which the Book of Psalms is based. These ten types of song are: Ashrei, Beracha, Maskil, Nitzuach, Shir, Niggun, Mizmor, Tefilla, Hoda'ah, and Halleluyah. In that lesson, Rebbe Nachman explained how some of these expressions stand in direct opposition to the kelipah (forces of evil), and therefore have the power to extract the wasted seed from the realm of unholiness.Rebbe Nachman's main teaching on Tikkun HaKlali was given on Shavuot
Shavuot
The festival of is a Jewish holiday that occurs on the sixth day of the Hebrew month of Sivan ....
5566 (May 23, 1806). Yet he did not reveal the specific ten Psalms of the Tikkun HaKlali until April 1810. At that time, Rebbe Nachman revealed the specific ten Psalms to two of his closest disciples, Rabbi Aharon of Breslov and Rabbi Naftali of Nemirov, making them witnesses for an unprecedented vow:
"Bear witness to my words: When my days are over and I leave this world, I will still intercede for anyone who comes to my grave, says these ten Psalms, and gives a penny to charity. No matter how great his sins, I will do everything in my power, spanning the length and breadth of the creation to cleanse and protect him.
"I am very positive in everything I say. But I am most positive in regard to the great benefit of these ten Psalms.
"These are the ten Psalms: 16, 32, 41, 42, 59, 77, 90, 105, 137, 150.
"This is the General Remedy. There is a specific remedy for each sin, but this is the general remedy.
"Go out and spread the teaching of the ten Psalms to all men.
"It may seem like an easy thing to say ten Psalms. But it will actually be very difficult in practice."
In the accompanying lesson, in which he enumerated and discussed the allusions of the specific ten Psalms, Rebbe Nachman asserted:
Know that the ten Psalms which a person must recite on the very same day as he has an impure experience, God forbid, are: 16, 32, 41, 42, 59, 77, 90, 105, 137, 150. These ten Psalms are a very great remedy for this problem. One who is worthy of saying them on the same day need have no more fear whatsoever of the terrible blemish caused by an impure emission, because it has indubitably been corrected by this remedy without any doubt.
Mystical meaning
The Tikkun HaKlali is based on the idea of the BritBrit
Brit may refer to:*A short for Britney Spears, an American pop singer*British people*The Brit Awards*BRIT School, A free performing arts school*Bedford Road Invitational Tournament, a basketball tournament held in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada...
(Covenant) which God made with the Jewish people. In return for absolute allegiance to God on the part of the nation, God promised to be their God and to give them the land of Israel as an inheritance (Genesis 17:7-8).
As a mark of this Covenant, God commanded Abraham
Abraham
Abraham , whose birth name was Abram, is the eponym of the Abrahamic religions, among which are Judaism, Christianity and Islam...
to perform the mitzvah
Mitzvah
The primary meaning of the Hebrew word refers to precepts and commandments as commanded by God...
of brit milah
Brit milah
The brit milah is a Jewish religious circumcision ceremony performed on 8-day old male infants by a mohel. The brit milah is followed by a celebratory meal .-Biblical references:...
(circumcision):
"This is My Covenant which you shall keep between Me and you and your seed after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. And you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin, and it shall be a token of a Covenant between Me and you." (Genesis 17:10-11)
By choosing this specific organ to bear the sign of the Covenant, God indicated the tremendous power of the sexual organ. When it is used in the context of marriage, the sexual organ is elevated and man becomes a partner with God in creation. But when it is used for personal gratification, it distances a person from God and leaves him unfulfilled, frustrated and depressed. Rebbe Nachman taught that the antithesis of the joy one should feel by uniting with a marriage partner and performing all of God's other mitzvot
Mitzvah
The primary meaning of the Hebrew word refers to precepts and commandments as commanded by God...
is depression, a state which is in the domain of Lilith
Lilith
Lilith is a character in Jewish mythology, found earliest in the Babylonian Talmud, who is generally thought to be related to a class of female demons Līlīṯu in Mesopotamian texts. However, Lowell K. Handy notes, "Very little information has been found relating to the Akkadian and Babylonian view...
, the name of the kelipah associated with unholiness.
The Tikkun HaKlali comes to rectify the sin of misusing the sexual organ and, by extension, undoes the root feelings of depression that lie at the core of any sin. It does this through the power of Psalms (Tehillim in Hebrew), which are songs of praise and rejoicing in God.
The word Tehillim has the same gematria
Gematria
Gematria or gimatria is a system of assigning numerical value to a word or phrase, in the belief that words or phrases with identical numerical values bear some relation to each other, or bear some relation to the number itself as it may apply to a person's age, the calendar year, or the like...
as the word Lilith (with five units added for each of the letters of Lilith). Moreover, the word Tehillim has the same gematria as the two names of God, El and Elohim, which have the power to release the seed from the kelipah. Thus, by reciting these ten Psalms, the wasted seed is released from the forces of evil and rectification is complete.
Other rectifications
Although the sin of wasted seed is considered the most serious of the violations of the Covenant, other sins also accomplish the same thing. Rebbe Nachman taught that one who earns his livelihood dishonestly also breaches the Covenant, as his craving for money can make him go so far as to rob his fellow man. The way one thinks, speaks and acts are also areas in which he can uphold or damage the Covenant.Rebbe Nachman further taught that the Tikkun HaKlali can rectify all spiritual and physical flaws or maladies. He stated,
"There are places that are so fine and narrow that no remedy has the power to penetrate them except through the General Remedy, which injects healing into even the narrowest, finest places. First it is necessary to apply the General Remedy, and through this all the individual flaws will automatically be rectified."
For this reason, many Breslover Hasidim recite the Tikkun HaKlali every day. Women also recite it as a general rectification for sin. Its recital is a cornerstone of any visit to the Rebbe's grave, as per his promise.
Sources
- Greenbaum, Avraham (1984). Rabbi Nachman's Tikkun. Jerusalem: Breslov Research InstituteBreslov Research InstituteBreslov Research Institute is a pioneering publisher of classic and contemporary Breslov texts in English. Established in 1979, BRI has produced the first English translation of all the works of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov and selected works of Reb Noson , the Rebbe's closest disciple; studies of the...
. ISBN 0-930213-06-8. - Kaplan, Rabbi Aryeh, trans. (1973). Rabbi Nachman's Wisdom. Jerusalem: Breslov Research InstituteBreslov Research InstituteBreslov Research Institute is a pioneering publisher of classic and contemporary Breslov texts in English. Established in 1979, BRI has produced the first English translation of all the works of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov and selected works of Reb Noson , the Rebbe's closest disciple; studies of the...
.