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It leads us to some pretty incredible places. The Baal HaSulam, Rabbi Yehuda Leib HaLevi Ashlag, in his introduction to the Zohar, peels back the layers of this concept, and it's n...
One of the most fascinating concepts is the eternality of the soul. Now, some philosophers thought that maybe it’s all about knowledge, that the more you learn, the more eternal yo...
Kabbalah, Jewish mysticism, often grapples with these very questions. And one of the most important figures in 20th-century Kabbalah, Baal HaSulam (Rabbi Yehuda Leib Ashlag), gave ...
A fourth stage, no less, that comes after the resurrection of the dead. Now, hold on. a bit. The idea here, as Baal HaSulam explains in his introduction to the Zohar, is tied to th...
Like the big, foundational stuff – the very existence of God, for example – is rock solid, but when you get to the nitty-gritty of how it all works in our daily lives... well, that...
It’s a question that’s haunted humanity since, well, humanity began. And it’s a question that’s explored in rich, complex ways within Jewish thought. Now, this isn't just some abst...
We live, we strive, we experience... and then what? The idea of resurrection, of coming back to life, is a pretty concept. But it's also deeply embedded in Jewish thought. Da'at (K...
Our sages, may their memory be a blessing, had some pretty fascinating ideas about it. They taught us that the world as we know it exists for six thousand years, and then… well, th...
It explores the intricate relationship between the soul and the body, especially in the context of sin, death, and ultimately, resurrection. The text paints a picture of what could...
One such exploration comes from the Kalach Pitchei Chokhmah, a kabbalistic text that delves into the mysteries of existence. It paints a picture of the soul's journey, particularly...
Today, we're diving into a tiny but powerful snippet from Tikkunei (spiritual repair) Zohar 47. Now, the Tikkunei Zohar is a later, and arguably more intense, addition to the Zohar...
The Tikkunei (spiritual repair) Zohar, a central text of Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism), speaks of just such a time. It paints a vivid picture, filled with shattering and trembling, a...
Jewish mystical tradition offers a powerful, poetic answer to that feeling. Tikkunei (spiritual repair) Zohar, a core text of Kabbalah, delves into the deeper meanings hidden withi...
We open our mouths, and thoughts – complex, nuanced, deeply personal thoughts – become audible, shared, tangible. It's kind of isn't it? The Tikkunei (spiritual repair) Zohar, a ce...
"And you shall celebrate it as a festival for the L–rd": This tells me only of the first day of the festival as requiring a chagigah (offering). Whence do I derive (the same for) t...
The Torah states that "all labor shall not be done" on the festival days of Passover. The Mekhilta reads this straightforwardly — it tells us that labor is forbidden on the first a...
It’s pretty funny. : in this world, you could theoretically wander into an orchard on Shabbat (the Sabbath) and pick a fig. The tree wouldn’t exactly yell at you. It just stands th...
Rabbah stumbled upon a sight that would make any foodie's jaw drop: two geese. But these weren't your average farmyard fowl. Oh no. These geese were so incredibly, astonishingly fa...
The ancient sages did. And in Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Psalms, they grapple with this very question, particularly in relation to th...
Psalm 2 definitely gets that feeling. “Kings of the earth will stand up, and rulers will band together, against the Lord and against His anointed, saying, 'Let us break their bonds...
In fact, it's a theme that echoes through Jewish tradition, especially when we talk about the relationship between God, Moshiach (the Messiah), and the enemies of Israel. The Midra...
It all starts with the verse, "A Psalm of David." But it quickly spirals into something far grander. The midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) dives deep, exploring the very s...
Even Moses, leading the Israelites out of Egypt, felt that way. He looked at the nations surrounding them, nations far more numerous, and thought, "These nations are more numerous ...
Why we don't have all the answers, especially when it comes to the big questions like, "What's the ultimate reward for doing good?" Midrash Tehillim 9, a beautiful exploration with...
" This verse, seemingly simple, becomes a springboard for a deep dive into themes of good and evil, destiny, and the very nature of creation. The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive com...
It’s a question humanity has grappled with for millennia. Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Psalms, tackles this very question head-on in it...
The verse we're focusing on is "Arise, O Lord." It's a plea, a call to action. But according to the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), it's also a reminder. A reminder of ...
They’re woven into the very fabric of Jewish thought, and they surface in unexpected places, like in the Midrash Tehillim. The Midrash Tehillim, a collection of homiletical interpr...
It’s not always what you think. Midrash Tehillim, a collection of homiletic interpretations on the Book of Psalms, offers a glimpse into this very question, and it's wild. The pass...
We often talk about God's love, God's mercy... but what about God's thunder? Midrash Tehillim, a collection of interpretations on the Book of Psalms, dives headfirst into this very...
Guess what? It's not always what you'd expect. The Midrash Tehillim, a collection of interpretations on the Book of Psalms, offers a particularly intriguing take. It suggests that ...
We often think of the sea as a place of mystery, teeming with life we can barely imagine. But according to Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Psalm...
That’s kind of the feeling behind Psalm 114, and the Midrash Tehillim, an ancient collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Psalms, dives deep into the joy and gratitude expr...
That feeling, that image, is something the ancient rabbis explored deeply in their interpretations of the Psalms. to one particularly vivid passage from Midrash Tehillim, a collect...
The ancient rabbis wrestled with those feelings too, and they found comfort and meaning in unexpected places – even in the rain. Midrash Tehillim, a collection of interpretations o...
Our story today comes from Midrash Tehillim, a collection of interpretations on the Book of Psalms. It's a look at Psalm 137, which starts with the heartbreaking words: "By the riv...
The midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) asks us to consider something profound: that the creation we see around us, this world in all its complexity, isn't just a one-time e...
Jewish tradition, specifically Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, a fascinating collection of stories and interpretations, tells us that the power of tzedakah, or charity, is so profound that...
Our story takes us back to the time of Saul, the son of Kish, the first king of Israel. He was a complex figure, to say the least. The text, from Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 33, paints ...
Rabbi Eliezer, in Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, a fascinating and somewhat enigmatic Midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary) text, tackles this very question. And his answer is surp...
It's a story of hope, of revival, and a reminder that even in the darkest valleys, life can spring anew. Rabbi Joshua ben Ḳorchah, a sage whose words echo through time, paints a vi...
What are the implications of that oneness, especially when we think about life, death, and what comes after? Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, a fascinating text from the early Middle Ages, ...
The Jewish tradition wrestles with this question, and some of the answers… well, they’re to one particularly fascinating and, frankly, a little scary passage from Pirkei DeRabbi El...
One particularly evocative image comes from Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, specifically chapter 34. This text, a fascinating collection of stories and interpretations, delves into all sor...
Ezra, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua son of Jehozadak – powerful figures in their time – are leading a grand assembly. They’ve gathered 800 priests, 800 children, and – im...
King David certainly did. In the ancient text Tanna DeBei Eliyahu Rabbah, we hear David, may his memory be a blessing, express this very sentiment: "My fear is within my joy, and m...
It's not just about war, you know. It's about something much bigger. The Book of Numbers, Bamidbar in Hebrew, gives us a verse that seems pretty straightforward: "And if you go to ...
The Sifrei Devarim, an ancient rabbinic commentary on the Book of Deuteronomy, often finds meaning by looking closely at the names we find in the Torah. Take, for instance, the sto...
