86 texts in Philo of Alexandria
Our ancestors wrestled with it, too. And they left us a pretty incredible guide to help us navigate it. It’s called The Book of the War of the Lord. A bold title. It promises to il...
Sometimes, the deepest truths are hidden in plain sight, masked by complexity or sheer volume of information. This is something the author of The Wars of God seems to anticipate. R...
Who – or what – is on the receiving end? I recently stumbled across a fascinating snippet of text – a question, really – posed by someone clearly wrestling with this very idea. It'...
Our story begins with a question, a seeker looking for clarity on a crucial point of Jewish theology: How do we direct our service to God? The initial response, according to our te...
A reader can get lost in the immensity of it all. How do we even begin to understand, let alone connect with, the Infinite? One of the big questions that comes up in Kabbalistic th...
It’s like trying to grasp the trunk of a massive, ancient tree, its branches reaching so high you can barely see the top. It’s. well, it’s complicated. I recently came across some ...
The plea is intense: "My soul yearns to hear profound words, tightly sealed, burning from the lofty heavens. quench my thirst like a parched land." This isn't just casual curiosity...
They dared to ask: Who really governs all those hidden worlds the Kabbalists only hinted at? : If Zeir Anpin, the "Small Face" – a Kabbalistic term for one of the configurations of...
The Jerusalem Talmud, specifically in the tractate Shabbat, recounts a rather bold statement. The sages, or Chazal, tell us about someone who, upon witnessing the beauty of somethi...
Central to Judaism is the absolute oneness of God. It’s right there in the Shema, that foundational declaration: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one” (Deuteronomy 6:...
Sometimes, that happens with our understanding of the Divine, too. There's a fascinating debate, captured in letters from Jewish scholars of generations past, about how we relate t...
Ever stumble upon something that seems contradictory, something that makes you scratch your head and wonder, "Wait, did I miss something?" That’s exactly the kind of question someo...
What exactly does that mean? And what does it look like? Sometimes, it seems, it looks like light. But not just any light. Think about Abraham, our forefather, on his agonizing jou...
Jewish tradition has a name for that feeling: Shekhinah (the Divine Presence). But what exactly is it? It’s a word we hear often, especially when talking about exile and redemption...
The question at hand: how could the Israelites, knowing the honor due to God, prostrate themselves before something that was created? Isn't that, well, a bit too close to idolatry?...
The Wars of God turns to When Does Serving Another Cross Into Idolatry. The Talmud, in Sanhedrin (the supreme rabbinic court), tackles this very question. It discusses someone who ...
Are we, heaven forbid, idolaters, bowing down to wood and parchment? Rabbi Menasheh ben Yisrael, of blessed memory, addressed this very concern in his book, Teshuat Yisrael. He fel...
Isn't it fascinating how often we confront the line between respect and worship? Where do we draw that boundary? It's a question that goes right to the heart of Jewish thought. the...
The ancient Israelites, our ancestors, were intensely careful about anything that could be perceived as foreign worship. And I mean intensely. The Talmud, that vast ocean of Jewish...
Kissing is often remembered as a sign of affection, love, or respect. But in ancient times, it could also be a form of worship. Strange. The Bible itself gives us a glimpse into th...
Sometimes, understanding a practice means understanding its context. The medieval philosopher Maimonides, in his Mishneh Torah, specifically in "Laws of Idolatry," grappled with th...
The story goes that when the seventy-two elders presented it to him, he didn't just nod politely. He rose from his throne, and prostrated himself before it not once, but seven time...
Our tradition teaches us a vital principle: we don't prostrate ourselves before the Sefer Torah, the Torah scroll itself. It's not about worshipping parchment and ink. Instead, as ...
That’s kind of the vibe I get from this passage. Someone (we don't know who, exactly) has just asked a question about prophecy. Now, the author of this text (also unnamed in this s...
This isn't just some dusty historical document. This is a raw, unfiltered response to someone wrestling with complex ideas about God, the universe, and the role of Jewish tradition...
This happens, especially when we explore the complex world of Kabbalah, Jewish mysticism. And that’s precisely what this passage addresses: a series of misunderstandings and misint...
Naturally, with such a deep and complex field of study, disagreements and different interpretations will inevitably arise. This brings us to a fascinating glimpse into a historical...
Remember how we talked last time about the "Wars of God," those intellectual battles fought over the proper approach to divine wisdom? Well, buckle up, because the debate rages on!...
Like every path leads to another, and the trees seem to whisper confusing riddles? That's kind of how it can feel when diving into the deeper waters of Kabbalah, Jewish mysticism. ...
It’s powerful stuff, and not everyone agrees on how much we should explore it. We see this tension reflected in the words of the sage Yair, who seems hesitant to delve too deeply i...
How do we know what's real, especially when it comes to something as immense as the Divine? How do we stay on the path, the derech, when so many voices clamor for our attention? Th...
The Wars of God turns to Can Elijah Really Appear to Someone After Death. In some, that person might be peddling falsehoods, and the stakes are incredibly high. Maimonides, in his ...
Our journey starts with what some might call "foolishness and evil folly." The text Why should we limit our investigation? Shouldn't we strive for complete understanding, a sincere...
It starts with a pretty bold statement: the wisdom of even the greatest Kabbalists – masters of the mystical tradition of Kabbalah – shouldn't outweigh the authority of the ancient...
That feeling is at the heart of this story, a real-life exchange steeped in tradition and faith. It comes from a fascinating text called "The Wars of God," and it lays bare a disag...
Being accused of disrespecting the very wisdom you hold sacred. That's the situation hinted at in this passage, a passionate defense against accusations of failing to uphold Jewish...
a world where falsehood reigns and those who uphold Torah are scorned. It's a harsh indictment, a cry of pain from someone who feels that the very foundations of their community ar...
It goes deep, friends. Really deep. Not just a quick chat, but a full-on investigation, using seven different interrogations! Seven? Why seven? Well, It's not enough to just hear w...
That feeling, that sense of unease, might be more than just good manners telling you to speak up. According to Jewish tradition, it's practically a commandment. The Torah tells us,...
It's a harsh rebuke, a stark reminder of the damage that lashon hara – evil speech – can inflict. The writer directly confronts his friend, accusing him of believing falsehoods wit...
We've all been there. And sometimes, the debate gets heated! A conversation, or rather, a spirited disagreement, where someone feels like their carefully considered questions have ...
Isn't it astonishing how different interpretations can arise, even when dealing with texts we hold sacred? We're left scratching our heads, honestly, reading your words. Are you su...
The Wars of God turns to Accused of Heresy for Balancing Tradition and Reason. The writer is responding to accusations, accusations of deceit, of misleading students, of even heres...
Jewish tradition is vast, an ocean of wisdom passed down through generations. But what happens when we encounter teachings that seem to clash, or interpretations that feel…off? Tra...
The esteemed Rabbi Tam, of blessed memory, as we learn, was deeply troubled by these developments. He saw these new approaches to Kabbalah as a breach, a violation of the very fenc...
The Wars of God turns to Does the Zohar Hold Equal Authority With the Talmud. This isn't just a friendly disagreement; it's a full-blown intellectual battle. And at the heart of it...
Someone is being called out for criticizing the act of diligently seeking to understand the sacred texts. The response is sharp: "Who gave you the authority to seek and investigate...
We call Him by names like YHWH and Adonai, and our sages, may their memory be a blessing, refer to Him as HaKadosh Baruch Hu, "The Holy One, Blessed be He." But what does it all me...
