1,174 texts · Page 6 of 25
For the Jewish people, tradition answers with a resounding name: Michael. But it's not always a simple story of unwavering support. Our relationship with Michael, the archangel, is...
The Ba'al Shem Tov, the founder of Hasidism, reportedly did just that. The story goes that on Rosh ha-Shanah – the Jewish New Year, a day of judgment and profound spiritual signifi...
Some traditions suggest there isn't just one Lilith, but two! Imagine this: It's Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year, a day of atonement and intense prayer for the Jewish peopl...
Jewish tradition has a fascinating, and ultimately hopeful, answer to that feeling. We're talking about Gehenna. It's a name that often gets translated as "hell," but in Jewish tra...
Vital, as recounted in Sefer ha-Hezyonot, dreamed of a very unusual Simhat Torah, the joyous holiday that celebrates the completion of the annual Torah reading cycle. Imagine this:...
What's happening on high? Well, according to a beautiful passage in the Zohar (2:40b-41a), the foundational text of Jewish mysticism, God isn't just observing. God's hosting a cele...
These aren't just any years; they're cosmic Shemittot. The word Shemittah might sound familiar – it's the same word used for the sabbatical year, when fields lie fallow, a time of ...
It's more than just a day off. It's a portal, a moment when the entire cosmos shifts. According to ancient wisdom, Shabbat (the Sabbath) isn't just about our rest, it's about the u...
Jewish tradition often speaks of a profound connection between the heavens and the earth – “as above, so below,” as the Kabbalists say. But what happens when tragedy strikes here? ...
Jewish tradition offers some incredibly rich, and often surprising, answers. Today, we're diving deep into the mystical concept of the Messiah's soul. Just like the soul of Adam, t...
Jewish tradition offers us a fascinating glimpse into this very question. According to some mystical teachings, the soul of the Messiah dwells in a celestial palace, waiting. It’s ...
Not just any war, but a great and boundless war, raging in the very heavens! And mirroring this cosmic conflict, a corresponding war breaks out here on earth. It's a terrifying ima...
Jewish tradition paints a breathtaking picture of just such a place: a heavenly palace known as the Bird's Nest. This isn't just any palace; it's a secret place, holding within it ...
This one comes to us from a letter written in the fall of 1665 by Nathan of Gaza, the prophet of Shabbatai (the Sabbath) Zevi, a figure who stirred up messianic fervor like few oth...
The Ba'al Shem Tov, the founder of Hasidism, apparently did – and according to one story, he nearly brought the Messiah himself into the world! The tale goes that the Ba'al Shem To...
That’s the kind of fire that burned in the heart of Joseph della Reina. Imagine Hebron, long ago. A city steeped in history, in faith, in the whispers of ancestors. And in this cit...
The apocalyptic wars of Gog and Magog have ravaged the earth, leaving behind a landscape scarred by conflict and despair. But even in the darkest of times, hope flickers. Because f...
Eternal bliss, unimaginable beauty... who in their right mind would say no? Well, Jewish tradition tells us about righteous rabbis who did just that, refusing the heavenly reward o...
Maybe that’s because the rainbow we see today isn’t the rainbow of the Messiah. Not yet, anyway. : the rainbow we know is a promise, a beautiful one, certainly. It's a reminder of ...
The notion that everything we've learned, everything we've strived to understand, is just a stepping stone to something even greater. According to some traditions, this Messianic T...
Sha’ar HaGilgulim (the reincarnation of souls), the "Gate of Reincarnations," explores that very idea. It suggests that sometimes, a righteous soul, a Ruach (spirit), can connect w...
We often talk about the soul as a single entity, but Kabbalah teaches us that it's actually comprised of different parts. Think of it as a layered cake: the Nefesh, the Ruach, and ...
In Jewish mysticism, particularly in the teachings of the Kabbalah, we find a concept called Ibur (עיבור), often translated as "impregnation." It's a fascinating idea about how sou...
This isn’t just philosophical musing. It has real implications. The tradition teaches that Moshiach ben Dovid, the Messiah, won't arrive until all the Ruchos and Neshamot – all the...
The Sha'ar HaGilgulim (the reincarnation of souls), or "Gate of Reincarnations," offers a profound, even cosmic, explanation, connecting it all to the destruction of the Temple in ...
Or maybe you've asked yourself, "Why is redemption taking so long?" It's a question generations have wrestled with. According to Kabbalah, the answer lies in the two paths God has ...
It's all about desire, and where we choose to direct it. See, according to Baal HaSulam, in his introduction to the Zohar, our primary task in life is to acquire and expand our des...
It’s a feeling humanity has wrestled with for millennia, and it's a feeling that finds a rather stark depiction in the mystical depths of the Zohar. The Zohar, that foundational te...
It's not just about dusty old books; it’s about seeing ourselves within a much grander design. One of the most profound ways to grasp this is through the idea that the six thousand...
Jewish mysticism, particularly through the lens of the Zohar, offers a fascinating perspective on this. Imagine the cosmos as a series of nested forms, called Partzufim (literally ...
Yet, that’s precisely what the Zohar, the foundational text of Kabbalah, suggests. Specifically, there's a powerful statement in Tikkunei (spiritual repair) Zohar (at the end of Ti...
This feeling has deep roots in how we relate to the most mystical parts of our tradition. : we often focus on the halakha, the practical laws, the dos and don'ts. Important, absolu...
Baal HaSulam, a towering figure in Kabbalah, suggests this very feeling is a symptom of a deeper spiritual problem. In his introduction to the Zohar, that foundational text of Jewi...
It's more important than you might think. In his "Introduction to Zohar," Baal HaSulam paints a stark picture of what happens when we neglect the inner dimensions of Torah, the mys...
It knows that God feels it too. In the Heikhalot (the heavenly palaces) Rabbati, a text from the Heikhalot literature—these are the ancient mystical texts describing ascents to the...
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...
It’s a deeply human experience, and one that echoes through Jewish history, especially when we talk about false messiahs. The text before us, from Mitpachat Sefarim – literally "ma...
a "cursed abomination" and a "rejected faction," their tables overflowing with... well, let's just say very unpleasant things. The Zohar, that foundational text of Jewish mysticism...
In Mitpachat Sefarim, a collection of Jewish writings whose name literally means "wrapping of books," we find a raw, unflinching look at a generation seemingly gone astray. The aut...
That's the raw emotion pouring out of this passage from Mitpachat Sefarim, a text whose name literally means "Wrapping of Books." It’s a passionate, almost desperate plea, a defens...
It’s not just about planting saplings and hugging trunks (though, hey, those are good too!). The celebration of Tu BiShvat, the 15th of the Hebrew month of Shevat, as a "New Year f...
It’s more than just a wake-up call. According to the ancient text, Sefer HaKanah, these sounds are a complex language, a mystical dialogue between us, the divine, and the very forc...
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...
While no one can say for sure, we have some tantalizing clues scattered throughout our sacred texts. The prophet Isaiah, in chapter 58, verse 14, tells us, "Then shall you enjoy wi...
Jewish tradition grapples with this very idea – the concept of God’s hidden face, and what it means for us. Da'at (Knowledge) Tevunot, a Kabbalistic text, explores this idea. It su...
You're not alone. Jewish tradition actually has a powerful explanation for this feeling, and even more powerful hope for the future. Our sages tell us that the state of the world i...
Our service – the acts of devotion, the performance of mitzvot (commandments) – isn’t just about following rules. It’s about actively participating in revealing God's oneness. Thin...
In Kabbalah, the ancient mystical tradition of Judaism, we find a similar concept when we talk about the Sefirot (the divine emanations). What are the Sefirot? Imagine them as divi...
