Passover marks the most festive Jewish holiday, a celebration of freedom when the people of Israel united around Moses, overcame internal divisions, and earned freedom from slavery in Egypt. Today, as Passover approaches, instead of approaching such unity, we see…
The Land of Israel belongs to whoever adapts themselves to it. What does this mean and how does it work? According to the wisdom of Kabbalah, “land” (Eretz in Hebrew) means desire (Ratzon), the very matter or substance of creation. The…
In the language of Kabbalah, the Land of Israel refers to a desire to aim oneself straight to the upper force of love, bestowal, and connection (“Israel” from “Yashar-El” [“straight to God”]). Therefore, to inhabit the Land of Israel, we…
The Successful Aging Evaluation (SAGE) study, which analyzed data from 1,042 adults in San Diego County, found that the “presence of meaning” correlated positively with physical and mental well-being, while actively “searching for meaning” correlated negatively with mental well-being and cognitive function.…
Imagine sitting in your living room, watching TV—on the Dog Channel. Your dog sees a commercial, barks, “Woof-woof,” and in loose translation, demands, “Come on, order that for me before the sale ends!” Sounds far-fetched? Not really. Advertising dominates our…
Dr. Robert Lustig, professor emeritus at University of California, San Francisco, distinguishes between pleasure and happiness, emphasizing their fundamental differences: Pleasure is short-lived, visceral, and often experienced alone, while happiness is long-lived, ethereal, and typically social. Pleasure involves taking, whereas happiness involves…
War, as we understand it, is a conflict between opposing forces, driven by desires for dominance, power, and control. However, from a spiritual perspective, war takes on an entirely different meaning. In the wisdom of Kabbalah, we view war as…
Joy is one of the most powerful and fulfilling emotions a person can experience. People find joy in many ways, whether through simple pleasures like a delicious meal, meaningful friendships, or grand achievements like winning an Olympic medal. However, for…
The story of the parting of the Red Sea is one of the most well-known and debated events in history. For over 3,000 years, people have argued over whether it actually happened. However, from a Kabbalistic perspective, we do not…
The Torah is no mere historical text or a collection of laws. It is an instruction manual for the optimal form of connection between people, a guide that teaches us how to achieve balance with the forces of nature and…
We can measure spirituality by the importance we attribute to it. In the material world, we gauge everything by physical measurements like volume, distance, and weight, but in the spiritual world, these parameters are nonexistent. Instead, everything is measured by…
First, we should understand why humanity struggles with the idea of equality. It is because we do not naturally strive for equality. Our egoistic nature, the desire to enjoy for personal benefit alone, does not measure equality. It measures superiority…