4,670 related texts · Page 9 of 98
It’s a charge that’s been leveled against the Jewish people for centuries. Even Josephus, way back in the first century C.E., tackled this very criticism in his work, Against Apion...
It's so much more than just a physical act; it’s a profound moment steeped in tradition, faith, and ancient promises. And at the heart of it all stands a powerful, unexpected figur...
Maybe there's a reason for that. Jewish mystical tradition, particularly in the teachings of gilgul (reincarnation), offers a fascinating perspective on how we evolve, correct mist...
Jewish tradition offers a powerful, layered answer, especially when we delve into the mystical teachings of the Zohar. And to understand the Zohar, we need a guide. Enter Baal HaSu...
It suggests that the path to balance isn't about gentle moderation from the start, but about radical, complete removal first. Sounds intense. Think of it like this: imagine a sculp...
The great Kabbalist, Baal HaSulam, certainly did. And his words, written in his introduction to the Zohar, still resonate with a raw, urgent power today. He begins with a lament, a...
This ancient text, part of the Heikhalot ("palaces" or "halls") literature, is all about visionary journeys to the heavens. It's a roadmap, of sorts, for those brave (or perhaps fo...
Heikhalot (the heavenly palaces) Rabbati, a key text in the Heikhalot literature – that's the body of Jewish mystical writings concerning ascents to the divine realm – gives us a g...
The Mitpachat Sefarim, a text offering guidance on interpreting sacred works, certainly thinks so. It describes the Zohar, that foundational book of Jewish mysticism, as possessing...
That’s where we’re going today, into a fascinating corner of Jewish thought where reverence and caution collide. The text we're looking at is from Mitpachat Sefarim, a work whose t...
It’s a fascinating question, especially when we delve into the world of Jewish thought. Take Maimonides, or the Rambam as he’s more commonly known (an acronym for Rabbi Moses ben M...
It’s about a relationship with the One who is completely and utterly in charge. That’s what we’re diving into today, drawing from the text Da'at (Knowledge) Tevunot, a foundational...
Jewish tradition grapples with this very tension, particularly when discussing the relationship between the soul and the body. In Da'at (Knowledge) Tevunot, a profound work of Jewi...
The Kalach Pitchei Chokhmah, a Kabbalistic text, suggests a profound answer. It tells us that everything is precisely as it needs to be. No less, and certainly no more. This divine...
And in Jewish tradition, especially within the realm of Kabbalah, the answer often circles back to something fundamental: Names. Specifically, the holy names of God. The Kalach Pit...
Not just any names, but holy names, combinations of letters that are far more than just labels. These names, according to Kalach Pitchei Chokhmah – a profound text delving into the...
We often think of gravity, or love, or maybe even duct tape. But in Kabbalah, the mystical heart of Judaism, there's a concept that's even more fundamental: Malchut. Malchut – that...
Jewish mysticism grapples with this very tension. It's not enough, the ancient sages seem to be saying, to simply create. We also have to ensure the endurance of that creation. The...
But Jewish mystical thought, particularly in texts like Kalach Pitchei Chokhmah (Wisdom), offers a fascinating perspective on this very concept, especially when we consider the "Li...
It’s a question that delves into the very heart of Jewish mysticism. The Kalach Pitchei Chokhmah, a profound Kabbalistic text, grapples with just this. It asks, where is the "gover...
In Tikkun (spiritual repair)ei Zohar 40, we're given a glimpse into the intricate relationship between the written word, the divine, and our own spiritual journey. It’s a wild ride...
In Jewish mysticism, that feeling has cosmic significance. It's connected to the very fabric of reality, and believe it or not, even to matzah, that unleavened bread we eat on Pass...
The Tikkun (spiritual repair)ei Zohar, a cornerstone of Kabbalistic literature, certainly thinks so. to one small, fascinating piece of it. The passage hinges on a single Hebrew wo...
The Tikkun (spiritual repair)ei Zohar, a cornerstone of Kabbalistic literature, certainly suggests so. It paints a picture of the universe where even the Torah itself is part of th...
The ancient mystics did, and they left us clues about how to tap into that power. to a fascinating, if somewhat cryptic, passage from the Tikkun (spiritual repair)ei Zohar, a centr...
The Tikkun (spiritual repair)ei Zohar, a profound and mystical commentary on the Zohar, speaks to just that feeling. In the 90th Tikkun, we find a beautiful and comforting image. I...
We're turning to the Tikkun (spiritual repair)ei Zohar, specifically Tikkun 108. The Tikkunei Zohar is like the Zohar's cool, slightly more esoteric cousin, offering "corrections" ...
Jewish mysticism, especially in the Zohar, explores this very idea, personifying divine attributes in ways that are surprisingly relatable. Today, we're diving into Tikkun (spiritu...
The passage we're looking at comes from Tikkun (spiritual repair)ei Zohar 111. It paints a poetic picture, associating the Shekhinah – the Divine Presence – with different holidays...
The Tikkun (spiritual repair)ei Zohar, a central work of Kabbalah, wrestles with this very question. It starts with the beginning, with Bereishit, the first word of the Torah, whic...
"You shall love your fellow as yourself" (Leviticus 19:18). Hillel the Elder called this the entire Torah, with everything else being commentary. Chapter thirty-two of the Tanya ex...
Rabbi Yoshiyah takes the verse "And you shall watch over the matzot" and performs one of the most beloved wordplays in all of rabbinic literature — a reading that transforms a law ...
Variantly: "for it was near": The Holy One Blessed be He did not bring them directly to Eretz Yisrael but by way of the desert, saying: If I bring them there now, immediately each ...
Yithro's plan for restructuring Israel's judicial system was built on precise mathematics. He told Moses to appoint "officers of thousands, officers of hundreds, officers of fiftie...
R. Nathan says: "for My lovers and the keepers of My mitzvot (commandments)h": the Jews who dwell in Eretz Yisrael, and give their lives for the mitzvoth. Why are you going out to ...
R. Shimon b. Yochai says: Beloved are afflictions, for three goodly gifts were given to Israel and are desired by the nations of the world, and they were given to them only through...
The Torah describes a remarkable scenario in the laws of servitude: a Hebrew servant whose term of service has ended, yet who declares, "I love my master" and chooses to remain. Th...
But perhaps the first is an exhortation against stealing money, and the second an exhortation against stealing souls? Would you say that? Three mitzvot (commandments)h are mentione...
"And he not cover it" — the Torah addresses liability for an uncovered pit. The Mekhilta adds a crucial qualifier: "and he not cover it properly." This distinction between proper a...
Bava Metzia 59b), a story about rabbinic authority and, surprisingly, God's good-natured acceptance of it. It all starts with a disagreement. Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus, a renowned...
Imagine, just for a moment, if you had something that could smooth out those bumps, flatten those peaks, and make the journey a little easier. Well, according to Jewish tradition, ...
Jewish tradition has some fascinating ideas, and one of the most poetic involves flying letters! Imagine, if you will, a cosmic soup of Hebrew letters, swirling and chaotic. Before...
His nephew, Lot, has just departed, choosing a different path, and perhaps a more materially prosperous one. Abram might be feeling a little…lost. But then, something incredible ha...
We all know the story: Jacob, fleeing his father-in-law Laban, takes his wives and children and makes a run for it. But the book of Genesis (31:34) throws a curveball: "Rachel, mea...
The ancient wisdom tradition has something to say about it. to Midrash Mishlei, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Proverbs, that jewel of wisdom literature. We're l...
Think of it like this: Imagine a tree, deeply rooted in the earth. As Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Psalms, puts it, "Planted only means plant...
Like the rules just... don't apply the same way? That's a question King David wrestles with in a powerful passage from Midrash Tehillim, a collection of homiletic interpretations o...
Midrash Tehillim, a collection of homiletic interpretations on the Book of Psalms, offers some fascinating perspectives on this very question, particularly in its treatment of Psal...
