Spiraling Through the Cosmic Symphony of Life (Part III)
When a circle is merely cyclical, detached from growth, it represents spiritual death. This is the circle of routine, of habit, of endless repetition with no forward progress.
Spiraling Through the Cosmic Symphony of Life (Part II)
Time does not move along a continuous, straight line; it circles around in a repeating yearly cycle. As the Ramchal explains, Hashem created thematic cycles of time, and each point in the year contains unique spiritual energy.
What is the Deeper Purpose of Shavuos?
Once we understand the concept of time, and the distinct opportunity and importance of tapping into the unique theme of each point of time in the systematic process of ascension, we must delve into the specific theme that Shavuos presents.
Spiraling Through the Cosmic Symphony of Life
Hashem not only willed the world into existence at one point in the past, but continues to do so every instant.
Soul Questions: Who Are We?
Having forgotten our true selves, we are born with the illusory belief that we are only that which we can see. When we look in the mirror, we see only flesh and bone, and we believe that this is all that we are.
Hidden Blessings
How could something I had once chosen so carefully simply… slip away? I searched my memory, trying to reconstruct that moment. But the truth was, there were several couples within my own family who were in need of such tefillot at the time.
The Curse of Flattery, the Gift of Rebuke
The purpose of rebuke is simple: Rebuke helps us see where we have gone wrong, clarifying what we must change and improve in order to fulfill our purpose and actualize our true potential.
Deepening Our Understanding of Sefiras HaOmer and Shavuos
An interesting feature of the Omer is the emphasis on counting each day. This suggests that Sefiras HaOmer is one long mitzvah, complete only if each of the forty-nine days are counted. However, l’halacha, we make a beracha on each individual day of the Omer, suggesting that each one is a mitzvah in its own right. How can we reconcile this apparent inconsistency?
Sefiras HaOmer: Achieving the Impossible
We are not counting down to Matan Torah, but rather are building toward it, ascending one day at a time. We do not wait for Shavuos to arrive; we actively bring it ourselves through the time and effort we invest as we count the Omer.
True Marriage: Peering Through the Surface
We are all drowning in Western culture, where physical beauty takes the front seat – or the only seat – in life. But to fully understand the present-day challenge of beauty, we must understand the spiritual concept of beauty in all of its depth.
Shulamit and Shlomit
Despite the original Shulamit not being a name (but rather a description), in post-Biblical times, that word came to be used as a personal name given to Jewish girls, and in the last generation or so has actually become quite popular.
Inspiring Insights for Your Seder Night
Nothing in the physical world is objectively good or evil, rather, everything has the potential to be used for either good or evil.
Time and its Transcendent Connection to Pesach
Most spiritual schools of thought are focused wholly on the spiritual; they view the physical world as lowly and dangerous. They therefore claim that the physical should be avoided to the greatest extent possible.
The Qualities of Great Leadership
Everyone is a leader in some capacity. Some will lead their families, while others will lead the world. The scale is irrelevant; the principles remain the same.
Adar: The Story Continues
Only when you look closer, deepening your gaze, do you see the deeper layer of reality, the transcendent root.
Purim: Our Existential Battle Against Amalek
The first fundamental principle of Jewish belief is that Hashem is the Creator of the world. He is the source of time, space, and all of existence.
Follow the Leader: What Is True Leadership?
The most primitive form of leadership is selfish leadership, driven by the desire for power and self-gratification. In such a system, the leader represents only himself and his own selfish desires.
A Lifelong Journey of Return
Your job in this world is not to create yourself but rather to recreate yourself; to reattain your original state of perfection, as you were shown by the malach. This time, however, it must be done through free will, i.e., by choosing to become great.
My Mother
Someone called my mother, the oak tree. If you needed someone to lean on, my mother was there for you. She knew that people were different, and she accepted them as they were.
Willpower: Generating Momentum for Our Return
The feeling of making a great decision leads you to another great decision, and the cycle continues.
Soul Searching
We can generally guesstimate the time for Yizkor with an impressive degree of accuracy, but on Shavuos all bets are definitely off.
Eretz Yisrael: A Place Beyond Place (Part II)
Chazal mention a few cases of kefitzas ha’derech. One is when Yaakov travels from the house of Yitzchak, narrowly escaping Eisav’s clutches. Another is when Eliezer embarks on a journey to find a wife for Yitzchak. There are several others as well, but what do these cases have in common? Do they share any deeper connection?
Eretz Yisrael: A Place Beyond Place
The Torah is replete with mention of Eretz Yisrael’s greatness and uniqueness. While we often hear about Eretz Yisrael’s unique kedusha (holiness), we must ask: What is the nature of this holiness, uniqueness, and greatness?
The Birth of Torah She’baal Peh (Part III)
The transition from Torah She’bichsav to Torah She’baal Peh introduced a number of fundamental shifts in our relationship with Torah. These include the introduction of machlokes and a mode of “hearing” as opposed to “seeing.”
The Birth of Torah She’baal Peh (Part II)
Committing something to writing renders it static and finalized, and writing down the Oral Torah would limit its wisdom to finite fragments of individual statements, causing the shards of truth to remain shattered and broken.
The Birth of Torah She’baal Peh: Creating Light Within the Darkness
The first stage of history lasted from Creation until the time of Purim and Chanukah. This stage was highlighted by the miracles of yetzias Mitzrayim and Matan Torah and the presence of nevuah. During this period, Hashem’s revelation in this world was apparent and clear. The physical world was naturally seen as an expression of a spiritual reality, and it was easy to source the physical back to the spiritual.
Yosef and the Battle for True Beauty
Before Adam sinned, he looked nothing like you or I do today. When we look at one another, all we see is flesh and bone, but if you looked at Adam before he sinned, his appearance was angelic, transcendent, luminescent.
Chanukah: From Hellenism to Today’s Culture Wars
The Chanukah battles were no different. What unfolded in those years in Yerushalayim, and the miracles we witnessed there, sent ripples far beyond the boundaries of our people.
Peanut Butter Overload
In case it is not obvious, this new flavor consists of peanut butter flavored ice cream overloaded with chunks of peanut chews and homemade Reese's Pieces, AKA chocolate and peanut butter heaven! I'm getting hungry just writing about it.
Chanukah and the Eternal Battle for Light
We are able to understand and experience the spiritual through the physical, as the two are intrinsically connected. If you're wondering how to understand this concept, consider the way other human beings experience, relate to, and understand you.