It means that the human ego develops through cycles of correction, where the details shift, circumstances evolve, but the core remains unchanged. The final outcome of this developmental process is for egoism to transform into altruism, that we will rise…
One should be afraid of an action called sin, not punishment for that action because otherwise you are afraid of being punished. Fear of punishment is egoistic fear, where we are afraid of ourselves being harmed. Spiritual fear, however, is…
Love of friends is the first true love I attain. It means I love each person in my small group with such intensity that my connection to them rises above anything I might think or feel toward anyone else in…
To understand what is truly going on in the story of the Exodus from Egypt, we must first free ourselves from the constraints of time and place. “Egypt” is a code name for a particular social state, a system of…
What should we focus on during the key parts of the Passover Haggadah? Here are a few insights from the ancient wisdom of Kabbalah. “Why is this night different from all other nights?” On this night, we feel free. Free…
These are words that call a person to action. They point to our need to take responsibility for our correction, i.e., for changing our egoistic human nature to its altruistic opposite. No one else can perform that correction for us.…
It is because our love in this world is based on our egoistic desire to enjoy at the expense of others. We thus wish to be fulfilled by the object of our so-called love, and what might be a pleasant…
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates prohibited his children from owning smartphones until they reached the age of 14. He also established family rules, such as no phones at the dinner table and setting a “screen sunset” time to ensure proper sleep schedules. Gates…
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…
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…