When we take a bird’s eye view of the holidays that inaugurate the New Year, we see a collection of diverse images of God. The predominant image of God on Rosh Hashanah is as King and Judge who is writing us into a cosmic Book of Life and Death. On …
Torah teaches that the goal of life and the source of true happiness is holiness. We are holy when we are whole — integrated and harmonious with our inner self, with our nation, with the rest of humanity, with nature and with G-d. This is accomplished through fulfilling the Commandments of …
Yom Kippur is all about love and forgiveness. It’s about how we are always inseparably one with G-d. On Yom Kippur we get a glimpse of ourselves, our choices and our relationship to G-d from another perspective — G-d’s perspective. This is the transformational power that makes it into a …
Building the Kingdom of Consciousness The Kabbalah teaches, “There is no king without a nation.” This point requires deep exploration especially on Rosh Hashanna when we acknowledge G-d as our King. It may make sense that, in the human world, a king is dependent on having subjects who acknowledge his …
“Since the thoughts concerning G-d in their basic elements are unclear, G-d’s being as conceived by the multitudes — and even by the individuals who should be their leaders — is that of a ruthless power from whom there is no escape…” Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook (1865-1935) “Yisuriim Mamreikiim” Not …
Secrets to Living Your Best Life #Parsha Netzavim I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse: therefore choose life that you may live, you and your seed. [Deut. 30:19] If God is absolutely good, …
When we take a bird’s eye view of the holidays that inaugurate the New Year, we see a collection of diverse and disturbing of images for G-d. The predominant image for G-d, on Rosh Hashanah, is King and Judge who is writing us into a cosmic Book of life or …
The magic formula to true and lasting happiness. And you shall be happy in all that the Lord your G-d has given you (Deut. 26:11) Many people have a wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification, but through fidelity to a worthy purpose. — Hellen Keller …
When we read the Torah, some of its laws disturb our moral sensitivities. When this happens we must remind ourselves of the purpose of the Torah. Not all the laws of Torah represent its ideals. Some of them may even seem to contradict the very ideal that they are serving …
“I (G-d) will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren, like unto you (Moses); and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him” (Deut. 18: 18) The Torah claims that G-d revealed Himself to the entire Israelite …