We are about to enter the month of Iyar, which for many might seem like a descent from the exalted miracles we experienced in the month of Nisan. However, there’s much more about Yiar than meets the eye.
Of course, most people associate it with Lag Baomer, which falls on the 18th of Iyar, and some also celebrate Yom Ha’atzmaut. Yet, few are aware that the month of Yiar is a month of healing with tremendous potential.
In Yiar we can draw down all forms of spiritual and physical healing as this is a very propitious month.
How so? Let’s explore this in-depth!
Kabbalistic secrets of Yiar
Many commentators point out that the month of Iyar (אייר) is a contraction of the Hebrew words “אני י״י רופאך” (literally “I am Hashem your healer”). The 2 Yods from the middle word form the union between the names יהוה and אדני forming together יאהדונהי. This is the union we must keep in mind when saying the name of Hashem pronounced as Ado-nai from the prayers and represents the union between Ze’ir Anpin (the 6 emotional Sephirot we know) and Malkhut (The Shechina and Kingship).
According to the Arizal’s system, Yiar corresponds to the Sephirah of Gevurah (strength) which comes right after Nissan’s Chesed (lovinkindness) that we saw in the previous article. This is because we must now exert effort to purify ourselves during Sefirat HaOmer until we reach completion in Shavuot.
However, a few other Kabbalists state that Yiar also corresponds to the Sephirah of Tiferet (תפארת), which contains the root of the word “cure” (רפואה). This shouldn’t be viewed as a contradiction since we often find different systems intertwined even in the Arizal’s Kabbalah.
True Healing in Jewish Tradition
In Sha’arei Kedusha (Gates of Holiness), we find that the soul has the exact format of the human body. This, and not the physical body, is what a person truly is.
The Torah and the Zohar understand humans to be multifaceted creatures composed of many interdependent systems. We have the physical body, the levushim (“vestments”) of the soul, the tzelem (“after-image” of the soul), the soul itself (composed of 5 parts we all know), and the Mochin (divine consciousness).
It is also not far-fetched to think that the levushim/vestments just mentioned are related to the energetic/electric body that is part and parcel of Chinese Traditional Medicine system. This is because we find in many places in the Kitvei Ari (writings of the Arizal) the kavanah (mystical intention) that the word for vestment (מלבוש) has the exact numerical value of “electricity” (chashmal, חשמל) which is 378.
In a way, the Torah’s approach to health could be considered holistic since whenever we are beset by a disease (chas v’shalom), we should ideally treat the spiritual aspect, whether it’s a blemish in the soul or a decree from above, and then treat the physical body. Everything first happens in the spiritual worlds before it comes down to the physical reality.
Based on the Midrash that states that each leaf has a corresponding Mazal “hitting” it and telling it “grow”, Rebbe Nachman also teaches that herbs possess incredible power, not only physical but also spiritual. If a person does not address the spiritual cause of his suffering, the problem could, chas v’shalom, come back.
Secrets of the heart
The question remains: how can one draw down a cure? There is of course no shortage of answers and obviously, if someone has a more serious condition, he should consult with his doctor or go to the hospital.
But if your problem is not acute or not severe, or maybe it’s spiritual and psychological, the answer is: awareness and prayer. Human beings are created in such a way that, when we are looking for answers, we first go to the brain, and we often neglect the heart. However, we find in Eliyahu’s prayer in the Zohar that the heart is the seat of understanding (Sephirah of Binah).
Many times, the answer is not readily within the reach of the conscious/rational mind. It can only be perceived by the heart which, by the way, can generate between 60 to 100 times more bio-electricity than the brain! The heart then acts as an antenna and can “capture” what is going on with the body through non-verbal language. Now everything comes full circle.
So, one very effective meditation exercise to acquire the answers you need is to sit in a comfortable position and clear your mind for 1 or 2 minutes. Then direct your focus to your heart and make a question. This should be used with caution and the answers may need to be interpreted but Rebbe Nachman already taught us in Likutey Moharan that the heart is the focus of all the pain in the body, much like the Tzadik of the generation perceives everyone’s sufferings.
Remember also that putting your focus on the heart is a great way to awaken it and pray for healing! This is, after all, the focus of emotions and, in English, this word means “energy in motion”. It’s not for nothing that the sages said that Rachmana Liba Ba’ei (the Merciful one desires the heart), and when we offer and open our hearts to him, we are putting much more power in prayer!
This might explain why the word for “paying attention” in Hebrew is שים לב (literally: “put your heart”)!
May we all merit to draw down all our healing and never know suffering!
This article was written in the zechut of Chana Sussie bat Leah-to find Zivug Hagun, get married, have a happy and healthy family, have children, remain in good health, longevity, sustenance, mazel, peace, safety, and love.
Studying Kabbalah is a huge source of merit that can bring all sorts of salvation to a person’s life.
If you want to sponsor to have me study in-depth Kabbalah from the Arizal or the Rashash in your merit and receive its blessings, especially for sustenance, children and health.