Soul & Mystical
Have you ever burst into tears for no apparent reason? That is your soul calling out to you, saying hello.
Wait, does Judaism even believe in such things? I thought they were Far-Eastern ideas and New Age concepts. Isn’t the Torah about ritual and performance – do this, do not do that? The Hebrew school I went to never mentioned a soul, and it certainly wasn’t a mystical experience. What does my soul even look like? How do I know when I’ve seen it? How may I touch the mysteries of mysticism?
Explaining Corruption to Children
When the day comes that our children are old enough to be confused by the dissonance around us, and they approach us with their questions, here are some words that we can offer.
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Your Inner Pilot Flame
Theme: Who You Are When No One Is Looking
What is the driving force inside you? Is it Freud’s Id, or is there something more? According to the 4000-year-old tradition of Kabbalah, the human being is fundamentally a good and Divine creature — and it’s not the Id that drives you, but the soul.
The Ten Commandments: I Will Do and I Will Hear
Join Rabbi Simon Jacobson and discover the 10 principles which are the blueprint of our human connection to the transcendent divine.
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A Special New Year Greeting from Rabbi Simon Jacobson
Your soul was sent to Earth with a purpose. Are you living up to it? If you want to change your life, start with that question.
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You Were Sent to Earth With a Mission
Your soul was sent to Earth with a purpose. Are you living up to it? If you want to change your life, start with that question.
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Spiritual Nourishment
Theme: Spiritual Wellness
Do you know the difference between taking care of your body and taking care of your soul? Have you ever stopped to compare the things you do in your daily routine that maintain the wellness of your body, versus the things you do for soul wellness?
Your Free, Wild Spirit
Everyone has a free, wild spirit inside herself. Each of us has the right and the ability to be fully alive all the time.
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Why Jewish Knowledge of REINCARNATION was Kept SECRET
In the Kabbalah we find precious information about our past lives, but it was kept under cover for centuries. Why? Do you remember your past life?
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Common Dreams You Should NEVER Ignore When You Wake Up
We all have dreams, we all have nightmares, but do they mean anything?
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Anything Beyond Survival Is Spiritual
Rabbi Simon Jacobson discusses the sphere beyond material existence — without bringing religion into it. Discover what spirituality is, and how you probably are having more spiritual experiences than you realize that you are.
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What the Soul Would Tell You If Would Ask It
If you would ask your soul about itself, it would tell you that it is fully equipped to handle any challenge it encounters.
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Does Your Job Define Your Identity? You and Your Work
Discover how to not only balance work and life, but to transform your work into an expression of your soul, like a canvas that reflects an artist’s vision.
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The Kabbalah of Dreams
Join Rabbi Simon Jacobson for a fascinating journey into our inner psyches. Discover how dreams open up a door into another reality.
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Deciphering the Divine Sparks
Join Rabbi Jacobson for a fascinating discussion on how to find that elusive unity within and begin to understand your life in a completely new way.
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The Transcendent Power of Music
Rabbi Simon Jacobson discusses what happens in your soul when you listen to music.
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Does Prayer Work?
Ask yourself, what IS prayer? And do my prayers work? Is someone listening? Does God even care? Join Rabbi Jacobson and discover the true essence and purpose of prayer.
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The Flame of God is the Soul of Man
The flame is more than just a flame – it is a model, a prototype, of what the soul is truly like. By uncovering the flame you have discovered your own spirit.
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Giving Yourself Spiritual Self Care
Discover how to get an x-ray of your soul and identify which parts need strengthening. Learn exercises and “vitamins” that nourish and nurture the “muscles” of your soul’s different faculties.
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Can You Prove God’s Existence?
Before we try to prove God’s existence we must first establish: How do we define God? What is considered to be legitimate proof? Discover a fresh new way to look at the oldest and most fundamental topic of all: God.
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Are You Judgmental?
Why is it so easy for a person to judge another? Who gave us that right? Judgmentalism is a product of shallow and superficial attitudes. Coming in touch with your core essence builds your self-esteem, which in turn helps you see the core essence of others, allowing you to see them in a positive light.
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What is a Soul?
Have you ever burst into tears for no apparent reason? That is the soft voice of your soul, crying out for attention, asking to be nourished.
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Passing Away: Where Does The Soul Go When You Die?
Where does the soul go to when you die? Unbiased, grounded spiritual information about where the soul goes when you die.
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The Body Is Sacred
We must treat our bodies with the utmost respect — a healthy soul needs a healthy body.
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Introduction to Your Inner Mystic
Theme: Your Inner Mystic
Learn how to access your inner angels and inner mystic, transforming the way you experience every aspect of life: To look at life inside out instead of outside in, and unleash a plethora of energy which has been trapped inside of you.
Basic Soul Awareness
In this short video, Rabbi Simon Jacobson hits upon the fundamental axiom of personal growth — that confidence and the ability to transcend the past depends on truly knowing your inner self.
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Chassidic Melodies And Their Deeper Meaning
Rabbi Simon Jacobson, April 2018, Washington, DC
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Why Kabbalah Is a Secret
Experience the expression of the inexpressible, define the undefinable, channel the in-deterministic into the deterministic — tap into the fountains of the most intimate recesses, and transform your daily existence.
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Deep Freeze: Spiritual Lessons of Cold Weather
Join Rabbi Simon Jacobson weekly podcast at 8:15pm every Wednesday as he examines life and offers a comprehensive blueprint of the human psyche. Discover how to live a truly happy and meaningful life by using your divine gifts and wisdom to reach your highest potential.
*Enjoy MP3 recordings of this podcast when you become a free member at www.meaningfullife.com/join.
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Your Two Souls
Join Rabbi Jacobson as he honors this day with a profound yet practical presentation of this psychological model that can transform our very lives and the destiny of our universe.
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Unclutter Your Soul: Things to Get Out of Your Life
Discover how to free up the clutter in your life, to make room for the things that will allow you to be the best you can be.
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What Are Divine Sparks and What Is Their Relevance to Our Lives?
Discover (the mystical concept of divine sparks) how every detail of your life and its trajectory (of your life’s trajectory) is indeed a (treasure hunt –) a journey in search of finding the treasures (treasured divine sparks) allocated to you.
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Solar Eclipse: The Mystical Meaning with Simon Jacobson
Discover the deeper meaning of the solar eclipse, based on 4000 years of wisdom from the Jewish Mystics.
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We All Come From One Place
The antidote to divisiveness and to cognitive dissonance is to acknowledge that we all come from one place. We all share one soul. This is practical Kabbalah.
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Life After Life — Where Does the Soul Go?
Discover new tools that allow us to experience dimensions that are beyond the limits of our conventional tools. Learn to think and see life through the eyes of your soul instead of the eyes of your body.
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Always Be Prepared for the Unknown
When you approach everywhere you go in your routine life as an opportunity for magic, your whole outlook on life changes.
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How To Find Your Soul
Rabbi Simon Jacobson explains how to find your soul. There is no need to pay a lot of money or go on exotic retreats. Your soul is right inside you, and all you have to do to find it is pay attention to it.
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Good and Bad Angels: The Forces in Our Lives
Discover angels’ relevance to our lives, how we can control our destinies by creating good and bad angels, and how they impact all our interactions.
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What Do You Dream About?
Discover how dreams offer you a glimpse into another reality, open up new channels of creativity and intelligence, and transform your conscious existence.
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Two Conflicting Voices: The Battle of the Twins
Discover the dichotomous forces in our psyche and dissect the roots of our inner conflicts, demystifying and defanging the confusion and fear they create.
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Should I Go To A Medium?
A grieving viewer wants to know if she should go to a medium to connect with a relative who died. Rabbi Jacobson explains the drawbacks of going to a medium.
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Yom Kippur Class: How Great Can You Become?
Please join Rabbi Jacobson in this creative pre-Yom Kippur workshop and discover how the holiest day in the year carries the secret to appreciating the greatness that you are truly capable of.
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Gender Identity
“Why are some people created with a gender that they feel is wrong for them?” Rabbi Jacobson addresses gender issues, which are spiritually complex and mysterious. He looks at gender from the perspective of the Jewish mystics.
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Am I Unlovable? Elul Secrets to Finding Love
Whether you are in need of love or are filled with love, learn how Elul opens for us up the wellsprings of love which run endlessly deep.
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Love is in the Air: Elul in Jerusalem
Learn how the Hebrew month of Elul teaches us how to start anew and open up a new chapter of love in our lives.
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Sweetening Severities: How to Deal with Difficulties
Get a glimpse at suffering as seen through the eyes of a great mystic.
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Night Vision: How the Moon Can Teach Us to See the World in New Ways
Discover the powerful mystique of the night moon and how it reveals the inner secrets of your soul and your potential.
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To See Through the Eyes of a Mystic – Pre-Tisha B’Av Workshop
Take a journey into the inner worlds of reality. Gaze through the eyes of the Arizal as depicted in his mystical works.
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The Desolate Mountain: When Nothing is Everything. A Pre-Nine Days Workshop
Eye-opening Nine Days Workshop. The mightiest power lays buried in the most unglamorous places. Learn the deceptive nature of material existence.
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Does Life Ever End?
Long before modern science, the Torah offers us an astonishing and sophisticated perspective on the eternal nature of life.
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Does G-d Exist? Why Atheists May Be Closer to Truth than Believers
Take part in a fascinating discussion about the existence of G-d and reveal an entirely new perspective of G-d, G-d’s existence, and yourself.
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Do You Know How to Soul-Search? Pre-Passover Workshop
Discover the secrets of soul searching. Learn how to search every nook and cranny of your soul, and allow your spirit to soar!
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Is Joy a Verb or a Noun?
Learn what you can do to remove obstacles and barriers to allow yourself, your true and happy self, to emerge and be who you were born to be.
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Does Life Ever End? – The Science of Immortality
Discover how to look at life and death in a new way, helping you tap into new reservoirs of energy, as well as transform death itself into a force of life.
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Do You Live to Work or Work to Live?
Who are you? What is your true identity? Peer into your own heart and soul and discover who you really are and what defines you.
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Finding By Not Seeking
Discover that the important things in life -love, intimacy, truth, soul, G-d – emerge not by doing something, but by not doing something.
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Psychology and Religion: Are they Compatible?
Discover how Jewish mysticism provides us with a comprehensive methodology addressing our questions about the entire spectrum of the human condition.
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The Light Within the Dark
Discover how the festival of lights reveals for us secrets of our souls and how to tap into the deepest light of all, the light within the dark.
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A Day that Changed the World
Discover how we can access the intimate power of the spirit to transform virtually every aspect of our lives.
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Why Do We Need Spirituality?
Learn about your spiritual journey. Discover the mysterious world of our spirits and how it defines every aspect of our lives.
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Can I Extend the Magic of Passover All Year Round? Post-Passover Workshop
A post-Passover workshop and learn how to peer “under the hood” to check your inner material and spiritual workings.
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Meditation
“I don’t know how to meditate, I just can’t get my mind to quiet down. Can you recommend a meditation technique for focus?”
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Secret of Secrets
This Chanukah workshop will uncover the secrets of the secrets of your soul through the mystery of the pure Chanukah oil.
Read MoreThe Soul’s Journey & Reincarnation
It’s true, the subject of reincarnation often gets shrouded in sensationalism. We humans, naturally drawn to the exotic and unknown, can find ourselves fixated on past lives, perhaps seeking explanations for our present circumstances.
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The Talking Donkey
The talking donkey in Parshat Balak reveals a phenomenon new to modern psychology— listening to our body’s voice, which carries messages, memories & power.
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42 Journeys Part 3
How will we use the inspiration we gain from nature’s beauty? Will it be a temporary joy that only affects you, or will it have a perpetual effect and inspire you to bring beauty to others?
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42 Journeys Part 2
Around 70% of the Torah is occupied with the 42 journeys of the Jewish people through the wilderness. The Baal Shem Tov explains that the forty-two journeys in the wilderness – from Egypt to Israel – mirror forty-two journeys or phases that each person experiences throughout life.
42 Journeys Part 1
These 42 journeys allow us to align our lives to the compass a higher rhythm, as defined by the 42 journeys in the Torah, and actually create a strategy that rides and taps into these rhythms.
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In Defense of Anarchy
The continued quest for an authentic teacher results in a discussion about the virtues of a specific anarchy and the refinement of our search for a rabbi.
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The Kabbalah of Curses
To understand the deeper meaning of these blessings dressed up in the “garments” of “curses” requires a penetrating look into the forces that lay beneath the surface of existence in general.
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Changing The World
Take pride that you have chosen a path – the one less traveled – of believing and working on improving your character and bettering the world around you. Feel proud that you have chosen a life of vision where everything is possible.
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Eight Steps to Breaking Bad Habits
The following eight steps, based on ancient knowledge of harnessing the true power of your mind, can help you to move beyond your bad habits. If you can pick up a habit, you can break it.
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Vayikra: Remembering
As you find yourself traversing the earth encountering the earthiness of life, remember that you come from a greater place, you originate from a higher plane. The Torah allows us to soar above and beyond the sun, taking us to unprecedented places where there is newness, change and growth. But the true challenge is to remain true to our inner selves on earth.
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What Is Trust?
Trust is the absolute conviction that goodness will prevail, and that we have the power to make it happen. This conviction comes from the innermost recesses of our souls.
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Finding Oneness In Diversity
We are all one: Together we comprise a single organism whose various cells, limbs, and organs complement and complete one another.
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Bo: Israel – The Inside Story
A theory on the world’s fixation with Eretz Yisroel and how you can bring peace to the Holy Land and holiness to where you live.
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Beyond the New Year
The book of Genesis ends as the year ends. But our book just begins. What will your story be? It’s up to you.
Back to the Tzimtzum
The reality that we live with seems harsh because the world was created dark, but everything in this world has a higher purpose that we can’t see.
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The Ninth Flame
In pits of of Auschwitz a young boy and a gentleman light a ninth Chanukah candle, one so bright that it cannot be seen.
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8 Steps to Building Your Inner Menorah
Some menorahs are made of gold, some of silver, some of plastic. The most profound menorahs are fashioned of flesh and blood, of tears and sweat, of you and I. We are menorahs. It is time to rise and shine.
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The Big Confrontation – Jacob & Esau Meet
Each of us must ask ourselves the question: Is my material life aligned with my spiritual one? Have I integrated what I do with who I am?
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Dancing Particles
Your soul has a mission whose contract has been renewed. This is your personal mission statement – the reason you are here on earth.
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New Year’s Resolutions: The Spiritual Edition
Resolutions, like money, are easier to make than to keep. But, also like money, resolutions can truly enrich your life and turn the most mundane exercise into a precious commodity.
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Give Me Your Soul
It is time to create a revolution – to refocus our priorities and invest our energies into the most premium of all our gifts: Our children. And remember: It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.
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A True Relationship
In this month of Elul we have the opportunity to create, mend and renew relationships. May we use the month well, and may we all be blessed with experiencing “I am to my beloved and my beloved to me.”
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Are You Unique?
Become a giver, instead of a taker, and you will find the courage to be yourself, to finally allow your unique voice to play its own music.
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One Heart: The Message of Shavuot
In Parshat Bamidbar what power did Sinai have that united the people when they “camped opposite the mountain”? Total fusion of matter & spirit; body & soul.
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How to Make Your Actions Matter
If you can expand your world to include what you cannot explain or understand, you’re on the way to making your actions matter. How? Read on.
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Special Children
An email exchange between Rabbi Jacobson and the mother of a bi-polar son illuminates the concept of special children and their unique strengths.
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Are You Loved?
Being loved by family and friends is a valuable source of comfort and support, but true security can only be found in love which stems from the Divine.
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Drugs – Strange Fire
A soul burning with fiery passion is an incredible asset, but lack of self-control coupled with the pursuit of selfish desires lead to disaster.
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Can Drugs Help You To Lead A Meaningful Life?
Can drugs help you to lead a meaningful life? Do they offer true transcendence or momentary sensation?
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Six Ways Love Makes Life Better
As we continue to search for the secret formula to finding love and not losing it, here are several love words to help us unlock the heart to the mystery of love. Love makes life better!
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Anochi: I Give You My Soul
Anochi captures the essence and purpose of all existence: To inscribe and reveal the soul in our every word and in our every experience.
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All This Talk About Man
Learn about the different levels of the world, allowing space for human existence in a world created and governed by an infinite G/d.
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The Difficult Dance
Having a G-dly soul in a material world means constantly struggling to find the balance between transcendence and immersion.
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Listen To The Flames
Listen to the flames. Listen to your soul. Listen to your children. Listen to others.
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Possibilities
In Eikev, this week’s Torah portion, we begin to deal with one of life’s biggest questions: “What am I truly capable of achieving”…
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Confidence
Korach: Confidence – where does it come from? Inborn or acquired? Nature or nurture? It stems from the soul, one permanence in an immortal physical world.
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Can We Change Our Personalities?
By seeing ourselves as Divine we can begin looking at the universe in a new way and then recognize our ability to change existence as a whole.
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Is G-d Vulnerable?
True love means being vulnerable. Our relationship with G-d is one of vulnerability and equal dependence on each other.
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The Seder Plate: A Microcosm of Your Psyche
The Seder plate serves as a reflection of both your purpose in life and your greatest potential, and contains in its structure multiple layers of symbolism.
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Untrained Addiction: Five Steps to Break Addiction
This article on five steps to break addiction is not meant to replace a program of recovery. If you are an addict, please seek help from an established recovery center, recovery group, or therapist.
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How to Find Balance in Life
How to find balance in life: Balance your experiences of tension and resolution.
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Are You Sure?
Discover solutions to indecisiveness. There is no greater gift than certainty: The absolute conviction of knowing that you are precious and indispensable.
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To See the Divine
To see the Divine, you learn to savor every sight, every sound, every taste, every touch, every smell.
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The Power of a Single Spark
Theme: Smallness Is the Essence of Greatness
What are spiritual sparks, and how do they effect our lives? The 4000-year-old tradition of Kabbalah reveals it.
The Raven & the Dove
It is validating to know that this world is dark and cold, but we can never forget that we were deliberately sent here to illuminate our surroundings.
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The Kabbalah of Yom Kippur
The Kabbalists and Chassidic masters teach us that the soul as it were is comprised of five dimensions. Learn: How deep is YOUR soul?
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I Am to My Beloved and My Beloved Is to Me
G-d and daily life simply doesn’t get along. Is there a simpler way to define the grand Tzimtzum? Is there a more tangible expression of the Tzimtzum?
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Where Is G-d?
A correspondence between Rabbi Jacobson in response to a self-proclaimed agnostic.
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Will G-d Strike Me With Lightning?
Seven myths and facts about the ancient mystical Jewish view on the relationship between our choices and their outcomes…
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42 Journeys Part 6
Whenever you feel disconnected or lost you are going through this journey. An aimless life is a desolate one. Nothing is being built; every effort ends up going nowhere.
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42 Journeys Part 5
There will be consequential times – due to excessive circumstances (a death, a major change, a transition) when everything we believe in will be on the line. We then have the choice: Will we sanctify G-d’s name or not?
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Israel: Is this a Political or Religious War?
What if we’re to find out the Middle East is indeed in the midst of religious war; one that is threatening the entire world? That this really is about G-d?
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To Be Like G-d
Spirituality in and of itself is not enough to satiate the Jewish soul, which seeks a unity with G-d that transcends a mere servant-master relationship.
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Religion and Refinement
The contrast of a person being so devout on one hand, while being so coarse on another, is terribly unnerving.
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The Pure Ones
The innate purity within children and their effortless connection to the Divine is examined, despite popular scientific theories and thought to the contrary.
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The Face of G-d
From overhearing the conversation between G-d and Moses in Parshat Ki Tissa, we learn how to have a true intimate relationship with our Creator.
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Moment of Truth
After Adam and Eve ate from the Tree of Knowledge, the world changed to one of deception. Now one must look to children to see the deeper truths of life.
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Soul to Soul
An excerpt from a paper by Rabbi Simon Jacobson titled “The Basic Principles of Therapy, from a Torah Perspective”.
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Think Different Part II: On the Nature of Intelligence
Part two of a discussion about cognitive processes, particularly the twofold approach for expanding one’s mind and tuning into the collective unconscious.
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How to Renew Yourself
Theme: Personal Rebirth
Regardless of how burned out you may feel, there are three basic steps you can take to spiritually and emotionally renew yourself. The fruit of your labor will be the return of a sparkle in your eye and the spirit of innovation in your heart and mind.
Fire of the Soul
Theme: The Kabbalah of Fire
All man’s greatest achievements, his noblest acts, his deepest loves – draw from the soul’s passionate fire.
Where’s the Beef?
In Parshat Shelach the scouts reveal for us a deeper understanding of Atzilut & our ability to face any challenge in life: to connect to above.
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When No is Greater than Yes
Avoiding the wrong thing is better than doing the right thing; protecting is better than serving (Samech Vav) as seen in Parshat Naso and the wilderness.
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Shavuot: The Twins – Duality & Unity
The concept of duality in matters of body and spirit are examined with respect to the opposing natures of twins Jacob and Esau.
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Your Deepest Secret Isn’t What You Think It Is
We all have secrets — the question is what you think is your deepest secret. What does it look like? Is it dark and shameful — the ugliest parts of your personality that only you know about, or is it something bright and beautiful?
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19 Kislev: How the Alter Rebbe Changed the World
Over two centuries ago Rabbi Schneur Zalman presented us with an invaluable model of life that can be appreciated now more than ever. Freud and his colleagues may be the fathers of psychology today. But the Alter Rebbe is the true father of the psychology of tomorrow.
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Dance Away
Is dancing on Simchat Torah in oblivion of the world a form of escapism, or is it in fact a different means of experiencing reality?
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Rosh Hashana: One Request
On this day each year we return to our origins: Not the dust part, but the spirit – the dimensions that makes us uniquely human.
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The Journey Begins
Creating a mission statement is vital to achieving your purpose. To find it one must look at their personality, opportunities, people, and places.
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What Is Kabbalah?
Kabbalah is the study of the soul: The human soul, and the soul of Torah, and the soul of everything in the material world. Find out what is Kabbalah and Kabbalism from a renowned Chassidic master teacher, Rabbi Simon Jacobson.
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Chanukah: Oil
Contrary to most other Jewish holidays, Chanukah focuses on the miracle of the oil as opposed to the battles involved. The spiritual dimensions of oil are discussed in light of this.
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The Dislocated Hip
By remembering Jacob’s wound we sensitize ourselves to the fact that mindless immersion in material existence touches a nerve which leaves us wounded.
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The Fall and Rise of Nations and Overcoming Fear
Overcoming fear: To face the transitions and battles of life you must fortify your inner life. You must build a strong inner core – a home and family that provides you with the security and confidence to handle any force or enemy from without.
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Yom Kippur: Your Inner Child
Once a year on Yom Kippur, the high priest entered the Holy of Holies. In the same vein, each person should enter his own holy of holies.
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Arise and Shine
Of all abuses’ devastating effects the most damaging of all is the violation of human dignity. Causing deep shame, abuse demoralizes the human spirit and strips a person of his G-d-given birthright – the sense of self-value and self-esteem.
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The Ten Days of Teshuvah
The first ten days of the Jewish calendar are known as “the ten days of teshuvah.” These are days for soul-searching, repentance and return (teshuvah) to G-d.
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The Sukkah as a Metaphor for Life
The transitory Sukkah reminds us that we are just travelers in this impermanent material world; we are spiritual beings on a material journey, not material beings on a spiritual journey.
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What Is A Baal Teshuvah?
The baal teshuvah, who frees the sparks of divinity imprisoned in the realm of the forbidden, is examined in contrast with the tzaddik, who has more limited powers.
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Why We Fast On Yom Kippur: Reverse Biology
Spiritual meaning of fasting: Yom Kippur is a taste of this future world of reverse biology. We will be sustained by hunger, and will experience other unnatural phenomena.
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Five Roots of Trauma Revisited
Using the concepts of The Five Roots of Trauma, this article looks at the five tragic events that took place on the 17th of Tammuz..
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Yom Kippur: Why the High Priest Went Home
Seven days before Yom Kippur, the Kohen Gadol (“High Priest”) is removed from his home to his chamber in the Holy Temple. Learn about the significance of home in relation to Yom Kippur.
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Equal Housing: Unity Of Sukkot
The four species of Sukkot represent each type of Jew unified as one, and implies a greater harmony among all Jewish people.
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The Seasoned Life: The Etrog
The etrog represents the righteous who remain constant from year to year and are not effected by their surroundings.
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The Five Roots of Trauma
The three weeks between the first attack on the Holy Temple and the final destruction are a time concentrate on healing by addressing the root of the issue.
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Meat & Atzilut
After taking a closer look at the Jew’s complaint we can understand the purpose of the world- to integrate the Divine and physical worlds.
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Crime of Passion
The fire of our souls, like any fire, can be the source of sustenance (healthy fire), or… an inferno (“strange fire”). The challenge is great. The choice is ours.
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0’s and1’s
The visionary sees the end in mind, while the builder appreciates the implementation process, and both elements are part of the Divine plan.
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The Visionary and the Builder
Vision alone can remain abstract and unfulfilled ; building without vision is aimless. First we need the voice of the visionary and then we need to balance it with the voice of the builder.
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Joseph & Marx – Work & Alienation
Joseph possessed the unique power to integrate spirit and matter in an imperfect world where materialism dominates. Let us learn how this can be achieved.
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Standards of Expectation
A profound but clear elucidation of Judaism’s view on judgmentalism and standards of expectation.
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The Return: The Incense Offering
The spiritual dimensions of the ketoret, or the incense offering, are discussed in conjunction with the concept of teshuvah.
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Re’eh: Our Secret Asset
Each day, week and month is defined by its unique energy. By appreciating the personality of each time segment, time becomes our greatest asset; a silent but powerful partner in life’s journey.
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The Materialistic Spiritualist
Is materialistic spirituality an oxymoron? When striving to carry out the will of his Creator, is man justified in requesting the fulfillment of his personal desires? A discussion of Rosh Hashanah and the nature of man’s soul.
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Unity in Three Dimensions: The Four Kinds on Sukkot
A discussion about joy as the dominant theme of Sukkot, and the inner dimensions of the four species and other observances during the holiday.
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Chanukah: An American Holiday
Both the American Revolution and Chanukah’s message of freedom and transcendence is as relevant today as it was two millenniums and two centuries ago.
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The Angel and the Drunk
On Yom Kippur we fast and pray, on Purim we party. Yet the Zohar sees the two days as intrinsically similar.
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Purim: Joy on Demand?
Purim is a day of joyous abandon that transcends conventional boundaries. It is a day when a window opens up that allows us deep inside of ourselves.
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A Singular People: Jewish Uniqueness
Purim celebrates the salvation of a singular people: Torah, the festivals, circumcision and tefillin are symbols of Jewish uniqueness.
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A Roll of Dice: The Purim Lots
Purim derives its name from the lots cast by Haman. It is not some incidental detail but the single event that most expresses what Purim represents.
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Cosmic Sleep
Achashveirosh’s sleepless night set in motion a series of events that led to Mordechai’s rise, Haman’s downfall, and the salvation of the people of Israel.
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The Subconscious of G-d
Our sages describe the age of Moshiach as a reality which “the heart does not reveal to the mouth,” where we will inhabit the “subconscious” of G-d.
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A Slumber and a Headache
Revisiting the 42-stationed journey in the desert from the Exodus of Egypt (that marked our birth as a nation) to our entry into the Land of Israel.
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The Paradox of Pain
From Parshat Maasei & the period of the 3 Weeks we learn not to view difficulty as a wholly negative experience, but as the greatest facilitator of growth.
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The Rebbe In His Laboratory
The story of why the previous Lubavitcher Rebbe, once referred to a person in a letter, known to be an irreligious man, as a “G-d fearing man.”
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Holy Sinners
Parshat Korach relates the story of Korach’s challenge to the authority of Moses & the priesthood of Aaron. The lesson: no human being is irredeemable.
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Subjective Judge
Insight into judgement: The only power on earth or heaven that can judge man is man himself.
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The Lamplighter’s Credo
While many of the Torah’s laws are time- & place-specific, their significance is always eternal & universal, such as kindling the menorah in the Holy Temple
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Hammered Gold
Two essential laws of the menorah: it should be forged of a single piece of gold & its diverse lights should face each other in harmony with their source.
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Menorah Meditations
Exercises based on the article “Lighting Instructions”, discussing 3 lessons learned from the menorah in the Holy Temple discussed in Parshat Behalotcha.
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Lighting Instructions
The menorah represents man’s potential to “kindle lamps”: to illuminate within his own self, in his fellow man & in the material resources at his disposal.
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A Humbling Thought
An important lesson to the spiritual “lamplighter”: do not think that you are achieving anything that your fellow could not, in truth, achieve on his own.
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The Long Pole
Aaron is the prototype for man’s responsibility for the spiritual elevation of his fellows, which reflects his role as kindler of the menorah in the Temple
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Train Journey
Using the metaphor of a railway journey, there are two possible routes the Redemption may come about – it may be hastened or come in its time.
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Lamps and Lives
The verses in Parshat Beha’alotecha specify two laws of the menorah corresponding to two visions of man provided by Rashi and Nachmanides.
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In an Earthen Vessel
Deeper significance of the laws of the sotah (“wayward wife”) in Parshat Naso. Life is a marriage of body & soul – female & male perspectives on reality.
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Vayeishev: Psychology Today
The Alter Rebbe’s take on popular psychological opinion- tackling Freud and Darwin from a Torah perspective.
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Vayeitzei: Balance
The Torah chapters from the beginning of Genesis outline the story of our life’s mission and from here we can learn much about ourselves…
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What is the Soul?
The world is G-d speaking, but what is the soul? A short examination of the concept of speech, the soul of man, and the creation of the world.
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The Rain of Peace
The dimensions of the rainy and sunny seasons of the Jewish calendar are explored in correlation to the birth of Chabad Chassidism, which is linked to Kislev, the third month of the “Season of Rains.”
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Knowledge and Naught
Drinking until one does not know the difference between Haman and Mordechai on Purim is explored in conjunction with the concept of the tzaddik versus the baal teshuvah.
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Supernal Real Estate
An exploration of the laws pertaining to bar mitzra, the neighbor whose land borders your own, and the correlation to G-d’s giving of the Torah to man.
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A Lesson in Humility
There are two approaches to develop a true feeling of humility toward someone whose character or behavior is obviously inferior to one’s own.
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Real Estate
G-d gave the Torah to man to build Him a home, but not before His neighbors, the angels, put up a legal fight.
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The Breakthrough
At the giving of the Torah, the physical and spiritual worlds melted together allowing objects to become holy and man to refine his soul through mitzvot.
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The Amphibian Soul
Just as a fish lives submerged within the environment that sustains it, we must also immerse ourselves in the truth of our existence.
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Gastronomic Universe
Physical & spiritual pleasures: In Parshat Balak the Jews faced the plague of Pe’or – they encountered the cosmic digestive system & the energy of waste.
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The Fifth Dimension
The laws regarding leavened bread on Passover are much more stringent than those dealing with other foods as this food has significant intrinsic meaning.
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Shoftim: Katrina And Gaza
Rabbi Jacobson’s answer to a question about the link between the Israeli evacuation from Gaza with the catastrophic devastation of by Hurricane Katrina.
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Eikev: Religion VS. Spirituality
When it comes to religion and spirituality, are they mutually exclusive or can they sit comfortably side by side?
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Of Snakes and Sticks
Insights on the power of Aaron’s staff, divine sparks, and Egyptian rain.
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A Refreshing Death
Sleep is one of G-d’s greatest gifts to mankind- the ability to wake up to a new day free of yesterday’s mistakes and constraints.
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The Extended Arm
Just as the difference between good writing and bad writing rests among the pattern of the letters, good and evil differ only in configuration.
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Name and Number
In the Book of Shmot, G-d counts and names the Children of Israel as they head into Egypt and again at their deaths to show His infinite love for them.
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A Sincere Apology
If interpersonal conflict was a matter that could be resolved simply between G-d and man, true kindness and sensitivity to our fellow man would be unattainable.
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The Pleasure Principle
Idolatry is the deification of an object/force of the created reality: explaining the deeper significance of the idolatry of Baal Peor, and Pinchas’ success
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The Intimate Estrangement
Linking G-d’s bond with the Jews as a marriage with the ten haftarot called “the Three of Rebuke and the Seven of Consolation” in explaining the galut/exile.
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True Sacrifice
The sacrifices one made during Temple times were not simple animal offerings, but symbolic offerings of man’s inner beast.
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Primordial Man
The bearer of an offering is referred to as an “adam” instead of “ishi.” While both translate to “man,” the former implies that one must emulate Adam when bringing an offering.
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Eikev: Blackout
A personal message about the value of reflecting during the period after the 15th of Av when “the power of the sun” begins to weaken.
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Jacob’s Oath
An integral part of G-d’s dwelling is a human self for whom “G-d is my G-d”—for whom a life in the service of the Almighty is deeply satisfying.
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Barefoot Beasts
The physical and spiritual nature of shoes, which serve as a shield between man and earth, are examined from a Chassidic viewpoint.
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The Disposable Self
The closer one comes to G-d, the more one realizes one’s own insignificance in the face of the divine infinity.
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The Rain of Peace
Rain is an expression of human initiative and endeavor; the reflection enables us to answer Divine light in our lives with the product of our own potential.
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The Container
The purity laws regarding earthen utensils and utensils of other materials reveal a deeper perspective of man.
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Devarim: Leaders That Unite
We is the saddest nine days of the year concluding with Tisha B’Av, which marks the tragic day both Temples were destroyed, a time to harness unity..
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Chukat: The Salute
In Parshat Chukat Moses strikes the rock instead of speaking to it. Even today our modern customs &symbols have military undertones. So what does this mean?
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Fire and Earth
Through defining the Halachic term of an earthen vessel, we learn two important factors in serving G-d appropriately: Humility and Passion.
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The Eastern Colonists
Chassidic explanation of the difference between the Spies and later the Tribes of Reuben and Gad who requested land east of the Jordan re divine sparks.
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Communication
A small piece of sage advice from the Lubavitcher Rebbe in regards to correcting or advising a friend.
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Life, Death and Reality
Discover a new perspective on death from the scope of spiritual reality. Learn how Torah operates within the confines of nature but is not limited by it.
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The Vacuum of Survival
Never has the lesson of the Tower of Babel been more pertinent to our people than it is today.
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Mystical Meals
One can fulfill G-d’s will while eating by allowing his body, his soul, and the food to be dominated by a transcendent perspective.
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The Married Life
The ultimate manifestation of divine truth requires a union of the spiritual and the physical.
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The Third Millennium
In Abraham’s 75th year, a new era opened – the era of Torah. The era of tifferet, of the harmony and synthesis of the Divinely bestowed and humanly earned.
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Barefoot Beasts: The Spiritual Meaning of Shoes
The spiritual meaning of shoes: Chassidic teaching speaks of an equally critical need for spiritual shoes—for a shield between the person and the “earth.” Learn about the connection between shoes, going barefoot, and prohibited animals.
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The Real Rebbe
Every man creates his own reality. One who leads a real life—life as defined by the wisdom and will of the Creator—will ultimately experience the divine reality.
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The Fifty-Sixth Century
The scientific revolution prepared the world for the coming of Moshiach by serving as a tool for the dissemination of Torah.
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The Last Jew
The month of Cheshvan, by virtue of its ordinariness, represents the very purpose of life on earth.
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The Constructive Statement
Every mitzvah we perform is a testimony as to the essence and purpose of the created existence.
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A Box of Life: The Meaning of the Teivah
Meaning of Teivah: Get insight into Noah’s Ark in this essay based on the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe.
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The Creation of Beginning
The “before” and “after” of creation: In terms of physical time, creation “always” was, since the first moment of time is also the first moment of creation.
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Speaker of the House
What are spoken words? Nothing really, at least not in the material sense.
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The Creation of Light
The creation of light is G-d’s concept of existence. It is the vision He articulated into being before getting down to the nuts and bolts of creation. The vision which precedes all, pervades all, and culminates all.
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One Day: The Spiritual Meaning of Day and Night
The story of creation reveals the spiritual meaning of day and night. Learn about the creation story from the teachings of the Rebbe.
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The Spiritual Meaning of Straw
Esau wished to tithe the straw of life, to attribute spiritual worth to animal fodder. Instead of exploiting the material to serve the spiritual, he wished to invest the material with a significance and value of its own, which is the spiritual meaning of straw.
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Spiritual Coldness vs. Spiritual Heat
Nothing positive and holy can ever spring forth from spiritual coldness. When a person is faced with icy indifference he must reassess his spiritual life.
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Listen to the Flames: The Soul of the Menorah
These elements of Chanukah – the eight flickering flames, the miracle of the oil, the light shining into the dark street – beckon us to connect to the power of our soul. Our soul rises like a flame toward that which transcends itself, not only repelling darkness as is the nature of all light, but transforming the darkness into light.
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Lamps and Lives: The Holy Temple Menorah
Spiritual meaning of the Holy Temple Menorah, based on an essay from the Rebbe on Parshat Behalotcha (Numbers 8:1-4).
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Hemshech Tzaddik Dalet
Nothing is real. That is the point proved by the chassidus of Rabbi Yoseph Yitzchak Schneerson in his series of discourses called Hemshech Tzaddik Dalet.
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The Book of Light
Kabbalah discusses not financial disputes and livestock trades, but spiritual worlds, supernal attributes and forms of divine energies.
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Ring, Round & Roof: Three Mysteries of Marriage
A marriage consists of three circles: the feminine circle, the masculine circle and the divine circle.
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Yud Shevat: Meshuga: The Sanity of Insanity
Chapter five of Basi L’Gani offers us a novel and even revolutionary approach to the absurdity of our lives. Instead of just avoiding or ignoring the irrational, transform that mindless mindset into a supra-rational force of transcendence, creating something absolutely unusual — something absolutely crazy. Since you are already in a mad and wild state of mind — turn that wild energy into revolution, changing the status quo.
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Faith, Reason, and Predetermined Choice.
A deep exploration of the balance between the deterministic character of the universe, and the freedom of choice that we all hold so dear.
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Mission Possible: How To Discover Your Mission
How to discover your mission: Look closely at your life experiences and you will see patterns emerge that will direct you toward your calling.
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Shopping: The Spiritual Shopper’s Guide to the Universe
As we look for that perfect Holiday gift, or just for a good deal in general, let’s bring along some of the following spiritual shopping tools in our totes.
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The Inner Courtyard
Therein lies the deeper significance of the above-quoted lines, spoken by Queen Esther to Mordechai. Generally speaking, there is an array of laws that govern who may enter into the “inner courtyard” and under what circumstances.
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The Runaway Soul
How tzaraat is related to Chassidic teaching that the human soul is driven by two contrary forces: the drive to “run” or escape (ratzo), and the drive to settle (shov).
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A Visitor From Tohu
Tohu was a world comprised of the ten supernal sefirot. However, there they existed as ten distinct elements, devoid of all relationship with or even tolerance for each other.
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Vayeitzei: Overcoming Fear
Overcoming fear: To face the battles of life you must first fortify your inner life. You must build a strong inner core – a home and family that provides you with the security and confidence to handle any force or enemy from without.
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Toldot: Our Response to Tragedy
The Jewish response to a gruesome attack, is to channel all our outrage and fury into a spiritual eruption of building an even stronger Jerusalem, both physically and spiritually.
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Chayei Sarah: Can East Meet West?
Abraham surely knew how religious zealotry can breed intolerance, condescension, judgmentalism and prejudices of all sorts — feeding into the ugliest elements of human nature.
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I Am Who I Am: The Names of G-d
Learn about the mystical meanings of the names of G-d – descriptions of the various behavior patterns that can be ascribed to His influence on our lives.
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The Human Story in Twelve Words: The Book of Genesis
The section names of the Book of Genesis chronicle the most basic truths of our existence: that life is purposeful. It chronicles the human story.
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Vistas of Repentance
A moving personal essay about repentance. Release your guilt and shame. You are doing the best you can do. Elevate the past and choose wisely in the future.
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Noah’s Flood
Practical Kabbalah on Noah’s Flood, which commenced on the 17th of Cheshvan in the year 1656 from creation, and ended on Cheshvan 27 of the following year.
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Gimmel Tammuz: The Silent Sun
Gimmel Tammuz is the day that the Lubavitcher Rebbe passed. It is also the day that Joshua miraculously stopped the sun. Rabbi Simon Jacobson discusses the connection between the two events.
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Man Is a Tree of the Field: Of Trees and Men
“Man is [like] a tree of the field,” and the Jewish calendar reserves one day each year—the “New Year for Trees” on the 15th of Shevat—for us to contemplate our affinity with our botanical analogue and what it can teach us about our own lives.
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On the Non-Existence of Evil
Take a deep look at the non existence of evil. Explore the idea that “Everything that G-d does, He does for good” conception of evil and suffering, as experienced by Rabbi Akiva.
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The Soul of Evil
When you learn this secret about the soul of evil, no evil will ever defeat you. When you learn this secret, you and your people will be free. Read Kabbalistic secrets to overcoming forces of evil.
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Why Does Israel Dominate Headlines?
Why does Israel so dominate the headlines? A country barely the square miles of New Jersey, with a population less than most countries in the world, captures people’s attention far more than any other.
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The Cosmic Marriage: All About Unconditional Love
The Torah tells us that marriage begins with unconditional love and acceptance of the entire person – first “accept Me” and the details will follow. Read about the ways that the idea of unconditional love relates to marriages between men and women, and the cosmic marriage between G-d and the Jewish people.
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Containing the Infinite: Integrating Spiritual Experiences
The secret is integrating spiritual experiences. The ultimate purpose of spiritual experiences is to infuse our physical lives with this spiritual fire. When we integrate them, we are able to get the most out of our inspiring experiences.
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The Silent Kohen – Silence Beyond Pain
Why did G-d allow the Holocaust? How can a good G-d allow for evil? None of us will ever have an answer. Understanding the power of silence.
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Reincarnation and Afterlife
Jewish reincarnation beliefs discussed live with Rabbi Simon Jacobson, author of the bestseller Toward a Meaningful Life. An explanation of Toras hagilgul, the Torah or the science, the study of reincarnation.
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Are You Afraid of Your Soul?
An essay by best-selling author Simon Jacobson about why it is important to get in touch with your soul. No religious dogma here, just spiritual inspiration.
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42 Journeys
The Baal Shem Tov teaches that the forty-two journeys in the wilderness – from Egypt to Israel – reflect the forty-two journeys or phases that each person experiences throughout life.
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6 Ways to Be a Spiritual Rebel
Only those courageous enough to defy the tide are the ones who shift the status quo. Challenge yourself to be a spiritual rebel. Here’s how.
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Is Psychology Good For Us? Are Therapists Necessary?
We should be striving to a psychology imbued with the confidence in the resilience and fortitude of the soul, and one that follows a higher moral calling.
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Are You Damaged Goods?
So there you have the psychology of Chassidus: There is no such thing as damaged goods.
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Medicine, Psychology and Spirituality
How much of a role do religious practices, faith and trust in G-d play in the healing process?
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Vayeirah : G-d’s Mysterious Ways
Our relationship with G-d is a two-way street: The more we immerse ourselves in our calling and the more dedicated we become to our mission, the more access we gain to the deeper mysteries of life.
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Tzav Passover: Money and Spirituality Part V
Wealth without its spirit, is the world in which we live in today. Wealth with its spirit is the economy of tomorrow.
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How the Alter Rebbe Changed the World
Over two centuries ago Rabbi Schneur Zalman presented us with an invaluable model of life that can be appreciated now more than ever. Freud and his colleagues may be the fathers of psychology today. But the Alter Rebbe is the true father of the psychology of tomorrow.
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Matos Massei: Attack in Bulgaria
The angrier you get about events surrounding Israel, the more you should channel that intensity into positive action to create a spiritual revolution in your life, in your home, in your community and in your corner of the world. This is the true conquest of Israel.
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Shemini: A Tale of Two Titanics
Titanic embodied the dangerous overconfidence of an immature generation. A new revolutionary Chassidic treatise, the longest and deepest mystical epic, now teaches the critical need for humility to check our ravenous and all-consuming self-assurance.
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Yom Kippur: The Dual Revolution
The first revolution – in science and technology (“earthly wisdom”) – is well in place. The second revolution – in spirituality and Divine knowledge (“supernal wisdom”) – has to now catch up.
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Rosh Hashana: New Year 5772
If we only allow ourselves to pull ourselves a bit back and out from our enmeshed lives, we can transcend many of our doubts, and see new opportunities, as an old world gives way to a new one.
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Emor: How to Speak
Passionate faith can spill over into dogma and intolerance. We must be vigilant that the path of faith should be saturated with love and inspiration.
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Pesach: Do You Believe in Miracles
The Baal Shem Tov offers us a novel interpretation of a miracle, and in the process turns the entire concept on its head. We learn how each of us can recognize – and create – miracles in our lives.
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Purim: An Open Letter to a Concealed G-d
We have lived in the dark long enough. It’s high time to take off Your mask and cloak, and show us Your face.
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Shemot: I Am a Child and Believe
No matter how old you are, each of us has our inner child intact. Nothing can be healthier than getting – and staying – in touch with your child, with your own innocent essence, and allowing it to inform all your giluim, your defined experiences, expressiond and faculties.
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Chayei Sarah: Birth of a Revolution
Is your ultimate purpose self-actualization, the need to express yourself and be “recognized” by others, or is there something more to life?
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Lech Lecha: Light at the End of the Tunnel
Spiritual lessons from the miraculous rescue of the 33 Chilean miners in the previously unknown city of Copiapó.
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Bamidbar: Unconditional Love
We need to get beyond the labels and stereotypes that divide, and treat fellow Jews as our own family.
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Vayikra: Absolute Evil?
The question becomes not how or why can evil exist in the presence of a benevolent G-d, but what allowed for it to emerge in the first place, and above all: What are we to do about it?
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Vayakhel Pekudei: Service or Slavery?
We humans must shed the blinding force of self-interest and respond to the call for service; we must weaken the grip that keeps us trapped and enslaved to our own temptations, and allow ourselves to be mobilized to serve – not human structures, but to serve – our higher calling.
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Bo: Sheer Determination
There is no greater gift than the gift of determination: The absolute certainty that you are precious and indispensable; that you are on a mission championing a cause; that the place and time in which you find yourself is exactly where you belong; and that you have the power to make your unique mark on the universe.
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Vaeira: Haiti
Rabbi Simon Jacobson reflects on the humanitarian response to the Haiti disaster, and how it reflects a shift in global spiritual engagement.
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The Greatest Journey Ever Taken
A lonely journey by a single man (accompanied by a small group of people) taken 3747 years ago changed the entire course of history!
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Shemini Atzeret: The World and You
We dwell in Sukkot, made of vegetation of the world, we pray and commit to improve and refine the nations of the world, we dance and celebrate in public, we engage, connect and unite with others.
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Mighty Lessons from the Simple Sukkah
The simple Sukkah reminds us all that our security comes from the “unalienable rights” endowed upon us all by our Creator.
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Yom Kippur: The Real You
Just one day we are asked to enter our “holy of holies.” This gives us the power to be real the rest of the year. So this Yom Kippur open yourself up – and may you experience the REAL YOU.
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Vaetchanan: Religion and Ethics
What should our attitude and response be when we witness Rabbis arrested in chains?
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Matos-Massei: One Small Step
If our “one step” on the moon can humbly remind us that the internal “moon” of our own inner malchus/dignity remains intact, and that it can actually experience rebirth and renewal, than this indeed is “one giant leap for mankind.”
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Pesach: Celestial Passover
The Jewish calendar is regulated by the lunar cycles. We count by and are compared to the humble moon. But once every 28 years we are reminded to recognize the source from whence the moon receives its light.
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Tzav: Soular Dissonance
The sun and the moon are not two self-contained luminaries, divorced from earthly affairs. They are both an integral, intertwined part of the human condition.
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Vayikra: Restoring the Balance
When we are able to revisit our birthing, prior to the scars we gathered through life, we achieve two things: We see how things ought to be, and we are empowered to realign who we have become today with who we truly are.
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Vayeitzei: Responding To Mumbai
Rabbi Simon Jacobson discusses the tragic 2008 killing of the Holtzbergs, Chabad shluchim, in Mumbai, India.
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Toldot: Beyond Life And Death
My granddaughter just arrived from another world, and has brought us a message of hope. Despite the tragic losses and senseless pain, beyond the incomprehension of it all, life is born yet again.
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Chayei Sarah: Beyond Self-Interest
The model of shlichus – that an individual, or a couple, leave their comfort zone and self-orbiting life and go out to build communities – is a model for us all: the ultimate antidote to modern-day self-indulgence.
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Lech Lecha: Transitions
In simple language this means that as winds of change swirl around us, we find grounding in the timeless values and eternal wellsprings of our soul, by dedicating time each day, each week, to study, pray and be charitable.
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Simchat Torah: Do You Want to Dance?
To enter a higher reality we have a narrow passage called “ayin.” To enter this passage you must first shed layers of ego and self-interest, recognizing that there is a reality that precedes you and is concealed from view; a reality beyond your grasp and of another dimension.
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Sukkos: From One Reality to Another
Awe and joy, two elements featured in Sukkot, are two vital ingredients in every healthy experience; two necessary components in every successful relationship.
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Netzavim: Existence Unplugged
Hemshech Tzaddik-Dalet dissects the very nature of existence, indeed, the very nature of reality itself. It’s central and most remarkable theme is that existence as we see and experience it is not real at all.
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Shoftim: A True Relationship
The Jewish month of Elul teaches an important lesson in relationships; one must create total unity whilst retaining their individuality.
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Vaetchanan: Comfort My People
Many tears indeed can be shed for our children whose lives are prematurely “hijacked” by the demons of abuse and drugs; bright futures suddenly aborted; robbed of their possibilities; injured psyches.
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42 Journeys Part 7
This column has been following these journeys as we read through the book of Numbers – in an attempt to decipher the personal application and psycho-spiritual meaning and significance of the 42 journeys.
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Bechukotei: LSD Part 2
Last week’s article, Lysergic Acid Diethylamide, elicited quite a number of responses, most positive, some critical, many of them posted online in the comments section on the article.
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Emor: Lysergic Acid Diethylamide
Even as we invalidate the method (LSD) used to reach G-d, we can never invalidate the person and his needs that led him to go there in the first place.
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Beyond Virtue
In practical terms being holy means going out of your comfort zone and conventional behavior.
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The Calling of Our Generation
The 20th century experienced some of the worst destruction and greatest advances this world has ever seen. In light of this dynamic globe, what is the purpose of our generation?
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Purim: Unbowed
It took Mordechai to stand up against the dark forces that wanted to bring him and his people down. Empowered by Mordechai’s courage and self-confidence, today we can stand proud, with no need for compromise or apologetics
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Kiss The Sky
What is a real kiss? It is where heaven meets earth. Where your body meets your soul.
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Vaeirah: Your Life: The Ultimate Journey
For what purpose did your soul come into this world? Discover your collective and individual purpose and gain insight into spiritual existence.
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Hovering Soul
Moses was a force of light; Discover that light within all of us. Access the inherent goodness of man and access a deeper meaning of, “Let there be light.”
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Vayechi: Soul Profit
Your soul, the origin of human dignity, contains unimaginable strength waiting to be released by you. Discover the power when matter is fuzed with spirit.
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Vayigash: The Three Brothers
What the soul achieves in this world is the ability to truly fly; the ability to soar into other dimensions and even beyond heaven itself.
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Chanukah: A Universal Holiday
Chanukah tells yet a deeper narrative, a tale that penetrates the darker shadows of our lives.
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Noach: My Child: Let Us Not Part
The third installment in the series ‘Letters to My Child.’ After the busyness of the Hebrew month Tishrei we are given a final day to say goodbye.
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Think Different Part I: On the Nature of Intelligence
Part one of a discussion about cognitive processes, intelligence versus wisdom, and the origin of ideas from a kabbalistic perspective.
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Tazria-Metzora: Greater Expectations
Though things seem chaotic and confusing we have the ability to sort everything and find clarity bringing us to greater results than we could’ve imagined.
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Bereishit: The Origin of Consciousness
Just like a machine cannot run if it’s not being used for what its engineer intended, we too cannot function smoothly if we are living dichotomies.
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Yom Kippur: The Kittel
Comforts and freedom often lead to complacency, but Yom Kippur reminds us simultaneously of our troubles and our triumphs, encouraging us to reflect on the mysterious cycle of life.
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Shelach: Jury Duty
Learning Samech Vav while doing jury duty: Living a spiritual life in a material world means engaging and transforming life not just avoidance & insulation.
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Emor: Eloquence
The Hebrew calendar’s technical and spiritual dimensions are analyzed with respect to the counting of the Omer period between Passover and Shavuot.
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Tazria-Metzora: Divine Containers
The world increasingly witnesses a union of form and function and spirit and matter. This concept is examined through the lens of kabbalah and Chassidus.
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Vayikra: The Tzaddik
Based on the insight of the Alter Rebbe and the Rebbe Rashab, the concept of a true tzaddik is explored in the context of the nature of this world.
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Vayakhel-Pikudei: Intimate Light
Follow the Divine light from emerging during the Exodus to finding a home in the Temple. The Rebbe Rashab elaborates on the lessons hidden within it.
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Beshalach: Light
Explore the relationship between tzimtzum, light, and Ein Sof to discover your power to fuse the existential and non-existential.
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Bo: The Kav
Learn about the Tzimtzum and the Kav manipulating Divine Light to allow for independent beings and how to direct light via the worlds of Atzilut and Beriah.
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Vayechi: Warming The Winter
Inspiration alone is not enough, but when it is combined with effort and exertion, one can burst through his constraints and the world will open up for him.
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Vayigash: WYSINWYG
The story of Joseph, who went from slave to Pharaoh’s top adviser and governor, expresses a powerful truth about destiny and human value.
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The Dust of History
The cosmic struggle to reconcile spirit and matter are captured in the story of Jacob and Esau and the battle between these two opposing forces.
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Vayeitzei: Before the Battle
Jacob’s descent to Charan and subsequent struggles in Laban’s household represent our own difficulties in this world, and indicate the necessity of bringing light to the darkest places.
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Toldot: The Power of Human Exertion
Who fully grasps a concept, one who immediately comprehends it, or one who must struggle to understand it? Part five of Samech Vov discusses this question, and examines the value of human exertion.
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Chaya Sarah: Tattoos
Man can transcend seemingly permanent scars or wounds – both physical and psychological – and access the inner recesses of his soul.
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Vayeira: The True You
This world often conveys the message that everyone is damaged at the core. Part four of Samech Vov discusses the essence of the soul and how each one is, in fact, at perfect peace.
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Back To The Roots
Today our challenge is to rise above our finite mortality, our flaws and subjectivity, and embrace G-d on G-d’s terms.
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Noach: The Power of a Mitzvah
Doing a Mitzvah can be the difference between a life of enslavement in a finite bottle, or freeing your finite being by becoming a piece of finite infinity.
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Can A Maskil Dance?
The ultimate purpose, is not to be smart and profound, but to be G-dly. Being sensitive and refined is not an end in itself but to be G-dly.
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Simchat Torah: Rise Up
The most adverse conditions throughout history have resulted in some of the greatest achievements in Jewish scholarship.
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Balak: The Secret to Immortality
In one verse in Parshat Balak “Who can count the dust of Jacob, and the number of the seed of Israel?” the prophet Balaam tells us the secret of immortality
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The Kabbala of Curses
The 49 curses listed in the Torah portion of Bechukosei evokes an interesting question: what possible benefit can be found in these curses?
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Passover: Back to Egypt
Reflections on a Puerto Rican Passover, the slavery of excessive freedom, and the search for the Divine inner light.
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Acharei: How Is This Night Different
In order to spiritually prepare for the Seder, one should ask himself a series of questions related to the four questions recited from the Haggada.
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Metzora: Beyond Paradox
In order to fully grasp the truth of this world, one must embrace both the orderliness of life and its paradoxes.
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Individuality in Judaism
Freedom of expression and individuality are often quashed under religious pretenses in favor of a single-minded disciplinarian conformity.
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Tzav: Money and Spirituality Part V
In part five of “Money and Spirituality,” the old economic paradigm is scrutinized in juxtaposition with the new economy of the Messianic Age.
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Money and Spirituality (Part 4/5)
In part four of “Money and Spirituality,” the true value of man is discussed, and the simultaneously socialist and capitalist approach of the Torah elucidated.
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Vayechi: Book Ends
The story of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is a blueprint that encapsulates in microcosm all the events that take place in history, both personally and globally.
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Vayigash: Faith and Reason
An examination of the apparent dichotomy between faith and reason in the modern world, and a realistic perspective of these two forces from a Biblical perspective.
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Vayeirah : The Mission Continues
The topics discussed include G-d’s plans “behind the curtain,” the power of prayer, and each individual’s mission in this world.
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Erev Rosh Hashana: New Year Blessings
Rabbi Simon Jacobson extends his personal Rosh Hashana (New Year) blessings upon everyone, and discusses personal missions.
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Shelach: Ronald Reagan
Learning from President Ronald Reagan & the sin of the spies in Parshat Shelach: hope & confidence breeds confidence; self-doubt & fear demoralizes & taints
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Nasoh: Balance
Understanding tiferet (balance) in Parshat Nasoh: balance between spirit & matter; body & soul; and love (chesed) & discipline (gevurah) in relationships.
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Acharei Kedoshim: Transitions and Premonitions
A personal story about a man standing on the edge of the spiritual world is shared, followed by an examination of both spiritual and physical dimensions.
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Vayechi: The Sound of Darkness II
Does darkness have substance, or is it just the absence of light? Rather than trying to fight the darkness pushing us down, we should find inner peace.
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Vayechi: Do our Shadows have Substance?
Embracing the duality of life in both its light and dark dimensions may not lead to nirvana, but will allow one to peacefully navigate the dynamic waters.
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Mikeitz: Light of Sound
The flames of the Chanukah menorah tell a story of yearning and returning, of tension and resolution. We yearn to realign ourselves to our inner rhythm.
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Vayetze: Rhythm
The soul’s restlessness is our healthiest response to a world that just doesn’t seem right. Don’t fight your restlessness; learn how to dance the dance.
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The Sound of Light: Tension & Resolution
The secret of balance is about discovering the rhythm that lies within the different forces in our lives. Life is about cadence.
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Korach: Atzilut Unplugged
In Parshat Korach we learn that Atzilut never can be unplugged. Our challenge is to recognize & acknowledge the connection and then reveal it & act on it.
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Nasso: Jerusalem Under Siege
What if we’re to find out the Middle East is indeed in the midst of religious war; one that is threatening the entire world? That this really is about G-d?
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Bamidbar: Whatever
Insecurities are reflected in the use of noncommittal expressions and speaking without conviction can create new insecurities.
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Behar: How Do I Find a True Rabbi? Part 2
In part two of the answer to how one finds an authentic educator, Rabbi Simon Jacobson tells a personal story and discusses the shortcomings of modern education.
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Tazriah: The River Euphrates
The Euphrates River has seen the rise and fall of man many times over, and plays a significant role in the ultimate redemption.
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A Blast in Three Dimensions
The meaning of the shofar blasts: the sounding of the shofar is more than a commandment—it is also a vehicle for repentence.
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