QUESTION:
1) Is cheshbon hanefesh (making a self-accounting) an avodah for every person or is it only for people on a higher level?
ANSWER:
It is for everyone, each person according to his level.
QUESTION
2) During Elul does every person need to make cheshbon hanefesh and to write a list or notebook of kaballos (resolutions) to take on, or was this only for the baalei mussar?
ANSWER
It is very good to write down any notes on oneself, not just for kaballos, but to organize one’s progress in life and write down one’s experiences so that he can keep track of himself.
QUESTION
3) How does a person make a proper cheshbon hanefesh?
ANSWER
There is already a response on this topic, try to get a hold of it. [From Q&A 4949 – How To Make Cheshbon HaNefesh: “Organize an order of avodah that you will follow every day. Make a daily self-accounting in which you will think about the daily order that you have set for yourself and see how you are progressing with it. This is besides for reviewing how the day was in general [in terms of your avodas Hashem]. However, do not take yourself apart so much. Instead, when you are making a self-accounting, keep your focus on the points which you have chosen to work on that day.”
QUESTION
4) What about if a person isn’t happy with himself and he has a very self-critical nature? Does he also need to make a cheshbon hanefesh?
ANSWER
He should at least see if he has committed any aveiros. For a certain amount of time he should be busy focusing on his qualities (see the sefer Hakarah Atzmis V’Haatzamas HaNefesh (Self-Recognition) for more on this). At a later point when he has become more balanced after knowing his qualities, he should then start cheshbon hanefesh.
QUESTION
5) Sefer Tanya says that a person should only think about his misdeeds at night before going to sleep. According to this view does a person still need to make cheshbon hanefesh during the day?
ANSWER
It is not for every day of Elul, there should only be one day specially chosen for cheshbon hanefesh.
QUESTION
6) And if a person doesn’t know himself that well does he also need to make cheshbon hanefesh?
ANSWER
See answer to 4 above.
QUESTION
7) I heard someone say that if a person is very drawn towards sadness or he’s very self-critical, his teshuvah in Elul is not to think about his sins or his shortcomings, but to just be b’simchah and just thank Hashem for everything he has. Is that indeed the avodah for a person who is very negative? If that’s true, then it would apply to a lot of people who are in this category….
ANSWER
See answer to 4 above.
QUESTION
8) What is the root of all a person’s problems? Can we say that all problems come from a lack of emunah, from a lack of kedushah, from not learning mussar, from not having enough connection to a tzaddik, from not being immersed enough in Torah, from not having emunah or from not being b’simchah, etc.? I hear so many different views on what the root of all of a person’s issues is and it seems that each path in avodas Hashem points to a different root. I’m a bit confused by this because I think that they’re all correct. What indeed is the root of all of a person’s troubles and problems? Is there an order to it?
ANSWER
The root of all issues is when a person doesn’t have the light of Hashem revealed in his life. From there onward, every person has his own root where his problems may be stemming from.
QUESTION
2) During Elul does every person need to make cheshbon hanefesh and to write a list or notebook of kaballos (resolutions) to take on, or was this only for the baalei mussar?
ANSWER
It is very good to write down any notes on oneself, not just for kaballos, but to organize one’s progress in life and write down one’s experiences so that he can keep track of himself.
QUESTION
3) How does a person make a proper cheshbon hanefesh?
ANSWER
There is already a response on this topic, try to get a hold of it. [From Q&A 4949 – How To Make Cheshbon HaNefesh: “Organize an order of avodah that you will follow every day. Make a daily self-accounting in which you will think about the daily order that you have set for yourself and see how you are progressing with it. This is besides for reviewing how the day was in general [in terms of your avodas Hashem]. However, do not take yourself apart so much. Instead, when you are making a self-accounting, keep your focus on the points which you have chosen to work on that day.”
QUESTION
4) What about if a person isn’t happy with himself and he has a very self-critical nature? Does he also need to make a cheshbon hanefesh?
ANSWER
He should at least see if he has committed any aveiros. For a certain amount of time he should be busy focusing on his qualities (see the sefer Hakarah Atzmis V’Haatzamas HaNefesh (Self-Recognition) for more on this). At a later point when he has become more balanced after knowing his qualities, he should then start cheshbon hanefesh.
QUESTION
5) Sefer Tanya says that a person should only think about his misdeeds at night before going to sleep. According to this view does a person still need to make cheshbon hanefesh during the day?
ANSWER
It is not for every day of Elul, there should only be one day specially chosen for cheshbon hanefesh.
QUESTION
6) And if a person doesn’t know himself that well does he also need to make cheshbon hanefesh?
ANSWER
See answer to 4 above.
QUESTION
7) I heard someone say that if a person is very drawn towards sadness or he’s very self-critical, his teshuvah in Elul is not to think about his sins or his shortcomings, but to just be b’simchah and just thank Hashem for everything he has. Is that indeed the avodah for a person who is very negative? If that’s true, then it would apply to a lot of people who are in this category….
ANSWER
See answer to 4 above.
QUESTION
8) What is the root of all a person’s problems? Can we say that all problems come from a lack of emunah, from a lack of kedushah, from not learning mussar, from not having enough connection to a tzaddik, from not being immersed enough in Torah, from not having emunah or from not being b’simchah, etc.? I hear so many different views on what the root of all of a person’s issues is and it seems that each path in avodas Hashem points to a different root. I’m a bit confused by this because I think that they’re all correct. What indeed is the root of all of a person’s troubles and problems? Is there an order to it?
ANSWER
The root of all issues is when a person doesn’t have the light of Hashem revealed in his life. From there onward, every person has his own root where his problems may be stemming from.
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