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The Difficult Case of the Private I
By Tzvi FreemanMy guru says I must first surrender my ego in order to proceed with his five day, ten-step path to total enlightenment. Personally, I find my ego quite useful, even neccessary. What do you think? Are egos really as bad as they are made out to be? 4 Comments |  |
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Fallen Sparks
By Tzvi FreemanThe very core of reality is G-d's shattered dream, waiting for us to pick up the pieces 11 Comments |  |
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Can People Change? creating something from nothing
By Shifra HendrieG-d creates from "Nothing" because nothingness, ayin, actually means absolute, infinite possibility. And as a beings created in the image of G-d, we, too, can create "something from nothing" 6 Comments |  |
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The Birth of Moral Selfhood
By Jonathan Sacks"Leave your land, your birthplace and your father's house, and go to the land I will show you." These words are among the most consequential in the history of mankind 14 Comments |  |
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Invisible Fences The Tiger, the Elephant, and the Kabbalah of Transformation
By Shifra HendrieAre you you smart, stupid, graceful, clumsy, bold, wimpy, articulate, shy? Whatever your answers, they will limit and define you as certainly as if they were a cage made out of concrete and steel 1 Comment |  |
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A Jewish Psychology of Motivation
By Chana SilbersteinDoing good without believing in reward is the flip side of doing good only for reward: in the one case, good is constrained to the metaphysical; in the other, it is limited to a crass physical expression... 8 Comments |  |
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What Makes Your Soul Tick?
By Yosef MarcusEver wondered where that instant inspiration comes from? Where does that spontaneous urge of faith stem from? What truly is the essence of our soul? 1 Comment |  |
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Be a Star in His-Story
By David AaronTo serve or not to serve is not the question, and it is not the choice. Every character serves the
author. The choice is only about how you serve--directly, playing the good guy, or indirectly, playing the villain 6 Comments |  |
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What is Kabbalah? A basic introduction to the Kabbalah
By DovBer PinsonIt is important to realize that the Kabbalah is more about losing ourselves than about finding, becoming more other-centered and less ego-centered. The literal translation of the word Kabbalah is 'that which is received.' 4 Comments |  |
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Unity vs. Diversity - the Struggle
By Mendy HersonI often speak of the Torah as a unifying document with an all-encompassing and harmonizing perspective on reality. There seems much that contradicts this in the Torah. So does the Torah indeed advocate separateness as a value? 2 Comments |  |
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Three Mistranslations
Based on the teachings of the Lubavitcher RebbeTeshuvah, tefillah and tzedakah commonly translate as "repentance," "prayer" and "charity." But these English words fail to express the full significance of these concepts, and even convey the very opposite of their true import 1 Comment |  |
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Compassion
By Jay LitvinThis is what compassion does: it simply comes to say hello, with kindness and grace; to be a companion in whatever circumstance presents itself; to banish loneliness, and if not, to accompany the lonely in their solitude 7 Comments |  |
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Reflections on Leave-Taking
By Susan HandelmanWe really should not have to die at all, despite Adam's sin. And G-d, so to speak, is sensitive to this. It "embarrasses" Him... 5 Comments |  |
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The Silent Cup What is Elijah's Cup All About?
By Israel RubinWhen opening the door for Elijah, the children gather round to watch the quivering liquid ripple, hoping to detect some sign of its sampling by the visiting prophet. But surely there's more meaning to this cup than a child's imagination 1 Comment |  |
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The Test
By Tzvi FreemanWhy does an all-knowing G-d need to test anybody? Shouldn't He know what is in our hearts? And why is Abraham's test of faith "the entire glory of Israel and their merit before their Father in Heaven"? 5 Comments |  |
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On Humility
By Jonathan SacksHe was a world-famous figure, I was an anonymous student from 3000 miles away. Quickly it became clear to me that he believed in me more than I believed in myself 11 Comments |  |
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Bindings
By Zalman PosnerThat common but feeble excuse, "I couldn't help myself," is not acceptable to anyone sensitive to the message of the tefillin |  |
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