ב"ה
About this Course
From the snoozed alarm clock to the big promotion, life is full of opportunities to watch the mundane turn sublime. This course invites you to tap into the spiritual wisdom of the most ancient religious text in the world: the Torah. Our weekly series will take you on a year-long journey towards discovering yourself, and unleashing the hidden potential within you. Join and turn your "good" into "great"!
Latest Class
The Scroll of Esther narrates the remarkable story of planned genocide of the Jewish People, and the ensuing, statistically impossible confluence of events, unmistakably recognized miraculous Divine deliverance. Intriguingly, one particular verse receives seemingly inordinate year-round attention. The quest to appreciate its deeper meaning leads to shedding light on the importance and potency of joy, as mystical insight about our dynamic relationship with G-d, also teaches how joyous engagement can reveal latent potential and enable fuller relationships -- leading to greater giving, personal satisfaction and achievement.
The Scroll of Esther narrates the remarkable story of planned genocide of the Jewish People, and the ensuing, statistically impossible confluence of events, unmistakably recognized miraculous Divine deliverance. Intriguingly, one particular verse receives seemingly inordinate year-round attention. The quest to appreciate its deeper meaning leads to shedding light on the importance and potency of joy, as mystical insight about our dynamic relationship with G-d, also teaches how joyous engagement can reveal latent potential and enable fuller relationships -- leading to greater giving, personal satisfaction and achievement.
The original Half-Shekel contribution is presented as a relationship repair medium with G-d (famously framed in terms of a cosmic marriage), which was weakened by the tragic (adulterously defined) Golden Calf debacle. This annual event is thusly portrayed as an annual envelope to nurture continued connection; shedding light on the hallmark of healthy marriages. Yet, although gift-giving is a logical commonly employed remedial strategy, the unusual limitations imposed seem entirely out of place. Ensuing Kabbalah-based elucidation of the subject also reveals secret recipes to marriage enhancement and realization of Shalom in the home!
The Torah truism that G-d’s Mitzvot were designed to refine our character, and make us better people would lead us to assume that this strategy to living life appropriately would certainly be reflected in the first Mitzvah. Yet, in identifying that very commandment, this axiom seems to ring hollow. A scriptural detail leads us to an enigmatic teaching in the Zohar, whose elucidation - drawn from profound Kabbalistic insight into human consciousness - ultimately most vividly demonstrates how the first Mitzvah does indeed provide the foundational recipe to correct character building and the maximization of our personal potential!
Personalizing the Exodus is a critical component of living life Jewishly, because it means allowing our soul to soar and frees our spirit. Viewing the entire schematic of the ancient Egyptian slavery, suffering and redemption process through mystical teachings, opens us to a new worldview; allowing us to see our terrestrial reality from an entirely different perspective. Deep Kabbalistic insight into creation, existence and purpose narrates the singular goal of our exilic odyssey, which also replicates itself in our own personal experiences and ultimately teaches us to see pain, discomfort and difficulty as a segue to greater growth!
Exodus opens with re-narrating the details of the descent into Egypt that's already been copiously documented. This seeming redundancy serves as our initial point of departure. Following fairly simplistic elucidation, we swiftly move into esoteric metaphor, terminology and ideas – the very notion of which appears irreconcilable. The ensuing wide-ranging discussion presents profound insight into foundational details of the human condition with Kabbalistic ideas, which serve to effectively illuminate why only through a continuing pattern of proverbial Exile and Exodus, can we set free the deepest essence of our consciousness!
Jacob’s last years, spent in Egypt were the very best of his life; filled with true satisfaction and happiness. Whilst it’s not hard to understand that being reunited with Joseph, and seeing his family united and loyal to his hallowed ideals, would be a source of profound joy; there’s something decidedly unsettling about the prime Patriarch being happiest in a place filled with pernicious immorality and spiritual corruption. The Rebbe’s final rumination on this widely discussed subject is revolutionary in its novel approach and leads us into mind-expanding Kabbalistic ideas shedding new light on the age-old question: can people change?!
Fleeing Laban, now Jacob confronts the evil Esau; enroute with murder in mind. Seeking to inhibit his brother's baleful intent; he sends a mollifying message – its literal elucidation is our initial point of departure. Then piercing the veil, the biblical characters are recast as cosmic spiritual paradigms, as profound mystical ideas are revealed. With broad brush strokes, the Kabbalistic panorama is outlined, as we laser into the teachings of the Chassidic Masters, with specific emphasis on a particular late 20th century discourse. The take away? We can all learn to create order out of chaos to live better and more fulfilling lives today!
At the tender age of 76, the “Perfect Patriarch” first experiences profound prophecy, and is motivated to articulate his desire to pursue and promulgate peace. Yet despite the seeming predictability of peace as an ideal, something about the entire narrative seems off. This insightful rumination opens with a straightforward analysis of the Scripture, yet swiftly develops into a sophisticated, and profoundly mystical presentation revealing a fascinating perspective on life, living and the purpose of our very existence. Jacob's journeys, and yearnings for peace demonstrate how we can all better achieve inner peace and self-actualization!
The biblical narrative of “Isaac meets Rebecca” isn't exactly a romantic courtship. A servant, appointed matchmaker is given access to unlimited funds to convince the “right” girl to marry a man without ever seeing him. To thicken the plot, this “match made in heaven” seems entirely incompatible and doomed from the get go. The unnecessary repeated details only provoke more questions. This profoundly mystical presentation reveals a vast new perspective; overwhelmingly dissolving all questions, and providing a compelling blueprint for achieving inner balance that equals personal satisfaction and happiness in life!
Almost incidental of a primary biblical narrative, in what might be termed a moment of “divine candor,” G-d “drops the curtain” sharing the secret of why he so loves Abraham. It seems reasonable to say that the importance of this verse cannot be overstated – as it's nothing short of an extraordinarily revealing statement by our Creator about how to best nurture our relationship with Him. And in turn, we can learn how to best cultivate and maintain our personal relationships as well!
Responding to unspecified anxieties, G-d's word comes to Abraham: “Do not fear, I am your Shield.” The backstage narrative frames the divine statement as specific to concerns relating to unwanted violent and conflict. Yet, an array of rabbinic sources, as well as our daily prayer liturgy, casts this passage as anything but incidental. The introduction of related yet enigmatic Zoharic statements, viewed through the illuminating prism of Chasidic teaching, reconciles the seeming contradiction and reveals its deepest essence. This all becomes the foundation for practical spiritual wisdom that we can all use to make our good life's better!
