When William Shatner, who famously played Captain Kirk in Star Trek, flew into space at the age of 90, thought he would experience the ultimate catharsis, a revelation of the universe’s harmony. Instead, he was struck by overwhelming sadness upon witnessing the stark…
At first glance, it is unclear why we were even born in the first place. We see no true beginning or end. We perceive ourselves only on the animal level, i.e., our body is born, it suffers, enjoys a little,…
Absolute mutual love. We need nothing but pure unconditional love, to love each other not because of what someone did or did not do, and not because of shared values or common goals, but simply because we are all human…
We Jews need to shape ourselves into a people who live in the quality of mutual love, care, and unification. This is how we will begin to resemble the higher nature of love, bestowal, and connection. When we reach this…
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…