#Kabbalah
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Jonathan Sacks z”l : Freedom Means Telling the Story KI TAVO
Jonathan Sacks z”l: Freedom Means Telling the Story KI TAVO Here’s an experiment. Walk around the great monuments of Washington D.C. There, at the far end, is the figure of Abraham Lincoln, four times life-size. Around him on the walls of the
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Jonathan Sacks z”l: Making Poverty History RE’EH
Jonathan Sacks z”l: Making Poverty History RE’EH Listen to these stories. Behind them lies an extraordinary insight into the nature of Jewish ethics: Story 1. Rabbi Abba used to bind money in his scarf, sling it on his back, and place it at th
Miscellaneous | Judaism
14 Facts You Should Know About Kabbalah
Kabbalah is Jewish mysticism, an ancient tradition of Divine wisdom.
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RAV KOOK ON PARSHAT EKEV: HOW TO FEAR HASHEM FEARLESSLY
RAV KOOK ON PARSHAT EKEV: HOW TO FEAR HASHEM FEARLESSLY In Parshat Ekev- Moshe Rabbenu continues to recount the tumultuous history of Israel and the significant contribution of the Torah’s ‘mitzvot-commandments’ in directing Israel in the path of go
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RAV KOOK ON Parshat Balak: MODERNIZING BILAAM’S PROPHECIES
RAV KOOK ON Parshat Balak: MODERNIZING BILAAM’S PROPHECIES RAV KOOK ON PARSHAT BALAK: MODERNIZING BILAAM’S PROPHECIES In Parshat Balak, the Torah recounts Balak’s hateful fear of Israel and his unsuccessful attempts to curse Israel through the pro
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Jonathan Sacks z”l: A People That Dwells Alone? BALAK
Jonathan Sacks z”l: A People That Dwells Alone? BALAK The dictionary defines epiphany as “a sudden manifestation of the essence or meaning of something; a comprehension or perception of reality by means of a sudden intuitive realisation.” Th
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PARSHAT CHUKAT: RAV KOOK ON MOSES’S FATAL ANGRY ERROR AT THE WATERS OF DISPUTATION AND WHAT WE MUST DO TO FIX IT
PARSHAT CHUKAT: RAV KOOK ON MOSES’S FATAL ANGRY ERROR AT THE WATERS OF DISPUTATION AND WHAT WE MUST DO TO FIX IT RAV KOOK ON PARSHAT CHUKAT: In Parshat Chukat, we read: “The Israelites arrived at the wilderness of Zin on the first new moon, and the pe
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Jonathan Sacks z”l: Taking It Personally KORACH
Jonathan Sacks z”l: Taking It Personally KORACH When we read the story of Korach, our attention tends to be focused on the rebels. We don’t give as much reflection as we might to the response of Moses. Was it right? Was it wrong? It’s a
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Jonathan Sack z”l: What Made Joshua and Caleb Different? SHELACH LECHA
Jonathan Sack z”l: What Made Joshua and Caleb Different? SHELACH LECHA The twelve men sent by Moses to explore the land of Israel came back with a wholly misleading report. They said: “We cannot go up against those people, for they are stronger th
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PARSHAT SHLACH: RAV KOOK ON “OVERCOMING SPYFULNESS”
PARSHAT SHLACH: RAV KOOK ON “OVERCOMING SPYFULNESS” “A world of empty chaos preceded the world of building. And light came out of the darkness- ‘And the Creator said ‘Let there be light’ ” (Notebook 3:87) And hence “Existence is full of li
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PARSHAT NASO: RAV KOOK on ‘THE VOICE OF PEACE’
PARSHAT NASO: RAV KOOK on ‘THE VOICE OF PEACE’ At the center of Parshat Naso (6:22-26), we find the following instructions to the Kohanim/Priests of Israel: וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃ The LORD spo
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Jonathan Sacks: Is there such a thing as Lashon Tov? METZORA
Jonathan Sacks: Is there such a thing as Lashon Tov? METZORA The Sages understood tsara’at, the theme of this week’s parsha, not as an illness but as a miraculous public exposure of the sin of lashon hara, speaking badly about people. Judaism is a s
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Jonathan Sacks – Othello, WikiLeaks, and Mildewed Walls TAZRIA
Jonathan Sacks – Othello, WikiLeaks, and Mildewed Walls TAZRIA It was the Septuagint, the early Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, that translated tsara’at, the condition whose identification and cleansing occupies much of Tazria and Metzora
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Jonathan Sacks – Spontaneity: Good or Bad? SHEMINI
Jonathan Sacks – Spontaneity: Good or Bad? SHEMINI Shemini tells the tragic story of how the great inauguration of the Tabernacle, a day about which the Sages said that God rejoiced as much as He had at the creation of the universe, was overshadowe
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Jonathan Sacks: The Dimensions of Sin VAYIKRA
Jonathan Sacks: The Dimensions of Sin VAYIKRA Our parsha, which deals with a variety of sacrifices, devotes an extended section to the chattat, the sin offering, as brought by different individuals: first the High Priest (Lev. 4:3-12), then the communit
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Jonathan Sacks : God’s Shadow VAYAKHEL
Jonathan Sacks: God’s Shadow VAYAKHEL In Vayakhel we meet, for the second time, the man who became the symbol of the artist in Judaism, a man by the name of Betzalel. Then Moses said to the Israelites, “Know that the Lord has chosen Betzalel son of Ur
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RAV KOOK ON PARSHAT TETZAVEH: HOW TO ILLUMINATE LIFE
RAV KOOK ON PARSHAT TETZAVEH: HOW TO ILLUMINATE LIFE RAV KOOK ON PARSHAT TETZAVEH: HOW TO ILLUMINATE LIFE וְאַתָּ֞ה תְּצַוֶּ֣ה ׀ אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל וְיִקְח֨וּ אֵלֶ֜יךָ שֶׁ֣מ
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Jonathan Sacks – Building Builders TERUMAH
Jonathan Sacks – Building Builders TERUMAH As soon as we read the opening lines of Terumah we begin the massive shift from the intense drama of the Exodus with its signs and wonders and epic events, to the long, detailed narrative of how the Israeli
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RAV KOOK ON MISHPATIM: THE ISRAELITE WAY OF LIVING LAWFULLY
RAV KOOK ON MISHPATIM: THE ISRAELITE WAY OF LIVING LAWFULLY RAV KOOK ON MISHPATIM: THE ISRAELITE WAY OF LIVING LAWFULLY “וְאֵ֨לֶּה֙ הַמִּשְׁפָּטִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר תָּשִׂ֖ים לִפְנֵיהֶֽם:-And these are the la
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Jonathan Sacks – God’s Nudge MISHPATIM
Jonathan Sacks – God’s Nudge MISHPATIM First in Yitro there were the Aseret Hadibrot, the “Ten Utterances”, the Ten Commandments, expressed as general principles. Now in Mishpatim come the details. Here is how they begin: If you buy a Hebr
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RAV KOOK ON PARSHAT YITRO: BECOMING A HOLY NATION BY ESTABLISHING A HOLY GOVERNMENT
RAV KOOK ON PARSHAT YITRO: BECOMING A HOLY NATION BY ESTABLISHING A HOLY GOVERNMENT “וְאַתֶּ֧ם תִּֽהְיוּ־לִ֛י מַמְלֶ֥כֶת כֹּֽהֲנִ֖ים וְג֣וֹי קָד֑וֹשׁ” “And you will be a kingdom of priests a
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Jonathan Sacks: The Power of Ruach BESHALLACH
Jonathan Sacks: The Power of Ruach BESHALLACH In September 2010, BBC, Reuters, and other news agencies reported on a sensational scientific discovery. Researchers at the US National Center for Atmospheric Research and the University of Colorado were able
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Jonathan Sacks – The Challenge of Jewish Leadership SHEMOT
Jonathan Sacks – The Challenge of Jewish Leadership SHEMOT I used to say, only half in jest, that the proof that Moses was the greatest of the prophets was that when God asked him to lead the Jewish people, he refused four times: Who am I to lead? T
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Jonathan Sacks – Grandparents VAYECHI
Jonathan Sacks – Grandparents VAYECHI Every Friday night we re-enact one of the most moving scenes in the book of Bereishit. Jacob, reunited with Joseph, is ill. Joseph comes to visit him, bring bringing with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.
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Jonathan Sacks – The Space Between VAYIGASH
Jonathan Sacks – The Space Between VAYIGASH “What do porcupines do in winter?” asked Schopenhauer. “How can they stay warm?” If they come too close to one another, they will injure each other. If they stay too far apart, they will freeze. Li
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Jonathan Sacks – Sibling Rivalry MIKKETZ
Jonathan Sacks – Sibling Rivalry MIKKETZ Listen to these words that are among the most fateful and reverberating in all of Jewish history: Joseph recognised his brothers, but they did not recognise him. Gen. 42:8 The Torah is a deep book. We make a
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Jonathan Sacks – Speech Therapy VAYESHEV
Jonathan Sacks – Speech Therapy VAYESHEV From Vayeshev to the end of the book of Bereishit we read the story of Joseph and his brothers. From the very beginning we are plunged into a drama of sibling rivalry that seems destined to end in tragedy. Al
Miscellaneous | Judaism
The Signature Element of Chabad Psychology that Few Understand
The signature metaphor in Tanya to describe all human activity, popping up in some form or another on almost every page, is clothing. Life, according to Tanya, is less about who you are and more about what you wear.
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Jonathan Sacks: The Character of Jacob VAYETSE
Jonathan Sacks: The Character of Jacob VAYETSE What kind of man was Jacob? This is the question that cries out to us in episode after episode of his life. The first time we hear a description of him he is called ish tam: a simple, quiet, plain, straight
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Jonathan Sacks – Why Did Isaac Love Esau? TOLDOT
Jonathan Sacks – Why Did Isaac Love Esau? TOLDOT Even before they were born, Jacob and Esau struggled in the womb. They were destined, it seems, to be eternal adversaries. Not only were they were different in character and appearance. They al
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Jonathan Sacks – The Binding of Isaac: A New Interpretation
Jonathan Sacks – The Binding of Isaac: A New Interpretation It is the hardest passage of all, one that seems to defy understanding. Abraham and Sarah have waited years for a child. God has promised them repeatedly that they would have many de
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Jonathan Sacks z”l – We Are What We Remember KI TAVO
Jonathan Sacks z”l – We Are What We Remember KI TAVO One reason religion has survived in the modern world despite four centuries of secularisation is that it answers the three questions every reflective human being will ask at some time in his
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RAV KOOK ON PARSHAT KI TAVO: CREATING A WORLD ‘FLOWING WITH MILK AND HONEY’
RAV KOOK ON PARSHAT KI TAVO: CREATING A WORLD ‘FLOWING WITH MILK AND HONEY’ RAV KOOK ON PARSHAT KI TAVO: CREATING A WORLD ‘FLOWING WITH MILK AND HONEY’ “When you enter the land that the LORD your God is giving you as a heritage, and you possess
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Jonathan Sacks z”l – The Limits of Love KI TEITSE
Jonathan Sacks z”l – The Limits of Love KI TEITSE In a parsha laden with laws, one in particular is full of fascination. Here it is: If a man has two wives, one loved, the other unloved [senuah, literally “hated”], and both the loved an
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Jonathan Sacks z”l – The Greatness of Humility SHOFTIM
Jonathan Sacks z”l – The Greatness of Humility SHOFTIM At a dinner to celebrate the work of a communal leader, the guest speaker paid tribute to his many qualities: his dedication, hard work, and foresight. As he sat down, the leader leaned ov
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RAV KOOK ON PARSHAT RE’EH-HOW TO BE BLESSEDLY HAPPY
RAV KOOK ON PARSHAT RE’EH-HOW TO BE BLESSEDLY HAPPY RAV KOOK ON PARSHAT RE’EH-HOW TO BE BLESSEDLY HAPPY “Behold- I am placing before you a ברכה-blessing and a קללה-curse. The blessing will come if you obey the directives of YHVH, your E
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HARAV KOOK ON TISHA B’AV: REPAIRING THE WORLD WITH THE POWER OF UNCONDITIONAL LOVE
HARAV KOOK ON TISHA B’AV: REPAIRING THE WORLD WITH THE POWER OF UNCONDITIONAL LOVE “If we destroyed [the second Temple], and the world with us, through needless hatred, we will rebuild [the third Temple] and the world with us, through unconditional
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RAV KOOK ON ISRAEL’S RESPONSIBILITY TO UNITE THE WORLD:PARSHAT MASEI
RAV KOOK ON ISRAEL’S RESPONSIBILITY TO UNITE THE WORLD:PARSHAT MASEI What does Torat HaRav Kook teach us about Parshat Masei’s significance for our day? The Parsha recounts the Children of Israel’s 42 step 40 year journey from the enslavement of Egy
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Jonathan Sacks – The Complexity of Human Rights MATOT-MASEI
Jonathan Sacks – The Complexity of Human Rights MATOT-MASEI The book of Bamidbar comes to a close that is very strange indeed. Earlier in the parsha of Pinchas we read of how the five daughters of Tzelophehad came to Moses with a claim based on just
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Jonathan Sacks z”l – Healing the Trauma of Loss CHUKAT
Jonathan Sacks z”l – Healing the Trauma of Loss CHUKAT It took me two years to recover from the death of my father, of blessed memory. To this day, almost twenty years later, I am not sure why. He did not die suddenly or young. He was well int
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PARSHAT KORACH: RAV KOOK ON the dangers of KORACHISM
PARSHAT KORACH: RAV KOOK ON the dangers of KORACHISM “Now Korach, son of Izhar son of Kohath son of Levi, betook himself, along with Dathan and Abiram sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth—descendants of Reuben—to rise up against Moses, together with
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Jonathan Sacks z”l – Two Kinds of Fear SHELACH LECHA
Jonathan Sacks z”l – Two Kinds of Fear SHELACH LECHA One of the most powerful addresses I ever heard was given by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, on this week’s parsha: the story of the spies. For me, it was nothing
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Jonathan Sacks z”l – Family Feeling BEHAR-BECHUKOTAI
Jonathan Sacks z”l – Family Feeling BEHAR-BECHUKOTAI I argued in my Covenant and Conversation for parshat Kedoshim that Judaism is more than an ethnicity. It is a call to holiness. In one sense, however, there is an important ethnic dimens
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Jonathan Sacks z”l – The Closeness of God כי תישא Ki Tissa
Jonathan Sacks z”l – The Closeness of God כי תישא Ki Tissa The more I study the Torah, the more conscious I become of the immense mystery of Exodus 33. This is the chapter set in the middle of the Golden Calf narrative (between Exodus ch
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Jonathan Sacks z”l – Inspiration & Perspiration Tetzaveh
Jonathan Sacks z”l – Inspiration & Perspiration Tetzaveh Beethoven rose each morning at dawn and made himself coffee. He was fastidious about this: each cup had to be made with exactly sixty beans, which he counted out each time. He would then
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RAVKOOK ON PARSHAT VAYESHEV: THE DIVINE COINCIDENCES THAT MOVE HISTORY TO ABSOLUTE GOOD
RAVKOOK ON PARSHAT VAYESHEV: THE DIVINE COINCIDENCES THAT MOVE HISTORY TO ABSOLUTE GOOD “אֵ֣לֶּה ׀ תֹּלְד֣וֹת יַעֲקֹ֗ב יוֹסֵ֞ף-These are the chronicles of Yaakov:Yosef…” (Breishit 37:2) Thus the Torah begi
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RAV KOOK ON PARSHAT VAYERA: PERFECTING THE WORLD DOING RIGHTEOUSNESS AND JUSTICE
RAV KOOK ON PARSHAT VAYERA: PERFECTING THE WORLD DOING RIGHTEOUSNESS AND JUSTICE וְאַ֨בְרָהָ֔ם הָי֧וֹ יִֽהְיֶ֛ה לְג֥וֹי גָּד֖וֹל וְעָצ֑וּם וְנִ֨בְרְכוּ־ב֔וֹ כֹּ֖ל גּוֹיֵ֥י
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RAV KOOK ON ROSH HASHANA: RENEWING THE POWER OF RENEWAL
RAV KOOK ON ROSH HASHANA: RENEWING THE POWER OF RENEWAL RAV KOOK ON ROSH HASHANA: RENEWING THE POWER OF RENEWAL We are beginning the 5783’rd year of our human historical experience. Our personal and collective behavior has resulted in a planetary exis
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Jonathan Sacks z”l – To Lead is to Listen Eikev 5781
Jonathan Sacks z”l – To Lead is to Listen Eikev 5781 “If only you would listen to these laws…” (Deut. 7:12). These words with which our parsha begins contain a verb that is a fundamental motif of the book of Devarim. The verb is sh-m-a. It occ
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PARSHAT PINCHAS: RAV KOOK ON HOW TO BE A HOLY ZEALOT.
PARSHAT PINCHAS: RAV KOOK ON HOW TO BE A HOLY ZEALOT. Parshat Pinchas begins by honoring Aaron’s grandson, Pinchas for his zealous and immediate response to the Israelite male sinning in public view with the Midianite female. “When Pinchas, son of E
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Shavuot: Rav Kook On Why The Creator Spoke To Israel
Shavuot: Rav Kook On Why The Creator Spoke To Israel “Anochi/I Am YHVH Your Elohim Who has taken you out of the narrow land of Egypt, from the house of slavery.” (Shmot 20:2) Thus begins the most extraordinary moment in world history. The Creator of
Miscellaneous | Judaism
Seven Things People Get Wrong When Learning Kabbalah - …and how to get on the right track
1. Myth: Nobody goes to a Kabbalah class expecting to actually understand anything.
Truth: Kabbalah is about the human mind grasping the ungraspable.
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Jonathan Sacks z”l – Why Do We Sacrifice? Vayikra-5782
Jonathan Sacks z”l – Why Do We Sacrifice? Vayikra-5782 The laws of sacrifices that dominate the early chapters of the Book of Leviticus are among the hardest in the Torah to relate to in the present. It has been almost two thousand years since
Miscellaneous | Judaism
Uncertainty, Unknowability, and Free Will in Kabbalah and Quantum Mechanics - Torah & Science
Developments in the physical and biological sciences over the last two millennia have, in the minds of many, challenged the belief systems of the major Western religions. Consequently, many Jews and others longing to understand the nature of reality and the meaning of human existence have been lured away from their faiths in a quest for more ‘objective’ truths.
Miscellaneous | Judaism
3D Kabbalah #5: The Art of Balance - 3D Kabbalah: How G-d Creates the World
God's names are expressions of one single Entity, reflecting Him and how He interacts with the reality He creates.
Advice & Self-Help | Kabbalah
Kabbala | Definition, Beliefs, & Facts | Britannica
Kabbala, esoteric Jewish mysticism as it appeared in the 12th and following centuries. Kabbala has always been essentially an oral tradition in that initiation into its doctrines and practices is conducted by a personal guide to avoid the dangers inherent
Advice & Self-Help | Kabbalah
What Is Kabbalah? - The Soul of Judaism - Essentials
If this is a secret wisdom, why are we teaching it?
Miscellaneous | Judaism
What Is Kabbalah? - The Soul of Judaism - Essentials
If this is a secret wisdom, why are we teaching it?
