“And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house. With him will …
Is the story of life a monologue, where the G-d is like an author talking in many different voices to Himself through us, His characters, and our lives are totally determined? Or is the story of life a dialogue, where we the characters interact with G-d the author and contribute …
The great Chassidic Master Rabbi Nachman of Breslov taught that a person has to be careful to always see the good in her/himself. If you are feeling plagued with low self, doubting your self worth then you need to remind yourself that you are a soul, nothing less than a manifestation of …
God does not expect us to be perfect. If we were perfect, we would not have received the Torah. I will share with you a very strange story from the Talmud. The Sages encoded deep ideas into such stories. This story conveys a profound truth about who we are, what …
“V’liYerushalayim Irecha b’rachamim tashuv,” (And to Jerusalem, Your city, may You return in compassion), “v’tishkon b’tochah ca’asher Dibarta” (and dwell therein as You spoke of). “U’vnei otah b’karov b’yameinu binyan olam” (And build it, soon in our days, into an eternal building). “V’kisei David, maheira l’tochah tachin” (And the throne …
“For unto Me the children of Israel are servants; they are My servants who I took out of the land of Egypt; I am the Lord G-d.” — Leviticus 25:55 There is an Eastern teaching that proclaims, “Be here and now.” Torah however would say, “Serve G-d here and …
“These are the appointed holidays of G-d, holy convocations, which you are to proclaim in their appointed times.” — Lev. 23.4 Henny Youngman, the comedian, once said, “I tried being an atheist, but I gave it up. There were no holidays.” What is a holiday really about? Is it the same …
After reading this essay, you’ll never look at yourself — or others — the same way again. The actor Kirk Douglas once told me that when people compliment him on a performance, they often tell him how great he was at losing himself in the part. “You just became Vincent …
The Jewish Sages gave a spiritual rather than physiological explanation for the disease tsara’as (generally translated as “leprosy”) which affected not only the body but also clothing and the walls of houses. According to one source several sins could possible be the cause: R. Shmuel bar Nachmani said in the name of …
The first man and woman ate fruits and vegetables—not animals—in the Garden of Eden. It was only later, after the Flood during the time of Noah, that G-d allowed mankind to eat meat. We cannot understand the exact connection between the sins of mankind and the subsequent permission to eat …