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Question:

I am a 34-year-old single woman with a few pre-marital relationships behind me and some other things I probably shouldn’t have done. I don’t know if there is a connection, but I suffer from anxiety and depression, headaches, and general irritability. Any advice?

Answer:

We all have to do repentance for the errors we make. Transgression is a fact of life that happens to everyone. Fortunately, we have a forgiving Father, who is always willing to cleanse those who turn back from their errant ways.

In addition to repentance, the Kabbalist, Rabbi Leon Levi, recommends some general guidelines for women, both single and married women alike, including healthy sleep and eating habits, and an important morning routine, based on the secrets of Torah.

Washing Hands in the Morning

Upon awakening in the morning, to remove completely the bad spirit (ruach rah) that descends on a person during nocturnal sleep, one must immediately wash one's hands from a vessel. The right hand holds the vessel as it is filled with water and places it on the counter. Then the left hand lifts the vessel and pours water over the right hand after which the left hand passes the vessel over to the right hand. The right hand then pours the water over the left hand and passes the vessel back to the left hand, repeating the procedure another two times, then one final time over the right. So that water is poured a total of 7 times; the first and last pouring of water are the left hand pouring the water over the right hand.

Raise the hands to eye-level as pictured above

Rabbi Leon writes: “Allow me to warn you never to do this hand washing in the shower or bathroom, especially upon awakening in the morning when an impure spirit rests on the fingers, because the bathroom and shower are filled with kelipot (impure spiritual forces). The bathroom and shower are places of impurity, and it is a waste of time to argue about this, because it is as clear as the sun in the afternoon, and something that even a simple person can understand.”

Then, after relieving oneself, one must wash the hands again from a vessel, not in the bathroom, with the blessing “asher yatzar,” but without reciting another blessing over the washing of the hands. (Should a woman rise in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, drink water, or take care of an infant, she should first wash her hands in the prescribed manner, without reciting a blessing.)

 Women's Hygiene and Overall Wellbeing

Rabbi Leon writes that it is a wise practice each morning to take a hot shower, washing private parts, and afterward, to change underwear, since during the night, kelipot nurture themselves from the body of a woman. This is the reason that already in the morning, when a woman rises from sleep, she is often very tired, and has very uncomfortable feelings, without knowing from where this fatigue and inner pressure derive. Therefore, it is sound advice to make it a daily morning habit to shower and change undergarments, and to do so earnestly, without laziness, and not to miss a day.

Rabbi Leon emphasizes that this is a formula for robust health and good feelings. Even if a woman wakes up feeling irritated and angry, or if she suffers from persistent headaches, etc, if she is faithful to this routine, she will be calm throughout the day. By doing this each morning, she will come to feel that a new and pure soul has entered her body.

After showering and changing, hands must be washed in the proper manner, without reciting a blessing over the washing.
The first opportunity a woman has, it is proper to recite the morning blessings and prayers that can be found in prayer books. If all of the prayers cannot be said, it is good to recite the blessings over the Torah, the full “Shema Yisrael,” and the recital of the Incense Offering, known as “Pitom HaKetoret.”

Afterwards, it is a good thing to drink a cup of hot tea with naana (mint) and a little babonag (camomile), with a piece of lemon. Rabbi Leon concludes: “After drinking this cup of tea, with the help of G-d, she will be serene, contended, and clear thinking all day.”

For women who would like to cleanse themselves of the spiritual blemishes of sexual transgression, and the many problems that can evolve from it, G-d forbid, Rabbi Leon recommends reciting the 13 Psalms of the “Tikun "Mishbatzot Zahav Levushah." They are: 69,55,22,129,27,125,13,124,89,85,72,28,29, followed by a long vidui (confession) in Hebrew over transgressions, replete with Kabbalistic codes, that don't lend themselves to translation.