In the story of the Tower of Babel, people wanted to reach the heavens. Indeed, this story still accompanies us today. Hidden in the story are key principles that can save humanity from tearing itself apart. Let us jump back…
An international coalition against us, a terrible war, and ultimately the intervention of a higher force. Does the prophecy of Gog and Magog describe a nuclear war? Can catastrophe be prevented? And what about the prophecies of peace—will they ever…
The wisdom of the prophets stems from their knowledge of the network of connections that links all parts of nature. Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto (the Ramchal), a great Kabbalist of the 18th century, describes in his book The Way of God how…
– Kabbalist Baruch Ashlag (RABASH), “Concerning the Hanukkah Candle.” This is why the sages taught that one who did not toil on the eve of Shabbat, what will he eat on Shabbat? The effort required is the effort to leave…
The lighting of Shabbat candles symbolizes our desire that our family and the people of Israel attain wholeness, and that we all feel like one family. The light of the candles hints at perfection and the great abundance that will…
The weekly Torah portion points to the corrections we must undergo in our relationships with one another. Every portion reveals different challenges and provides guidance on how to deal with them. These instructions direct us to attain love for all…
How should we relate to a person’s passing from this world, to a funeral, and to comforting mourners? From a spiritual perspective, the great goal of our development is to realize the principle, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” to connect…
Shabbat symbolizes a corrected humanity, which exists in delight, what is called “the delight of Shabbat” (“Oneg Shabbat”), in a state of rest. It is a state of us human beings having completed the transition from narrow egoism, where each…
Congratulations, you’ve bought a home. A home for your family. How can you make it a place of blessing? This is about the spiritual meaning of a “home” and a “housewarming,” and about building a harmonious connection between a person…
For Jews living in the Diaspora, things are somewhat simpler. First, there is no battle over government budgets, and second, they are surrounded by antisemites who remind them that they are all Jews. Here in Israel, however, we are consumed…
At a Jewish wedding, the bride and groom get married under a wedding canopy (Chuppah). This wedding canopy symbolizes the union of the bride and groom. The single covering above them and the other elements of the ceremony symbolize the…
Miriam, Yael, Queen Esther, Hannah the barren woman, and Ruth the Moabite. What can we learn from these female figures in order to build a better society? When Moses was placed in the basket, Miriam kept watch. And when Pharaoh’s…