Physical World, The

On the 200th anniversary of the passing of the Alter Rebbe, founder of the Chabad school of mysticism, two scholars sit down to discuss the significance of one of his teachings—the meaning and value of the physical universe.

Why the Alter Rebbe addressed lowly souls and simple good deeds before his passing.

Ever wonder what you're doing here? Here's some simple, Kabbalistic wisdom that explains a lot.

If you had made yourself you would be toast. But you didn't.

Step seven is the verse that opens the Torah itself: “Bereishit (In the beginning) G-d created the heavens and the earth.” It certainly sounds very important and biblical, yet what exactly is the relevant message? And, perhaps more critically, how does th...

Why did G‑d create this physical universe? What role does it play in G‑d’s plan? In this fourth of a six-part series on core Jewish beliefs, we discuss why G‑d desires this lowly and crass world, and how the material can ultimately become more G‑dly than ...

The purpose of creation is fulfilled by our making use of our bodies and the physical world around us to do G‑d’s will. Guest Expert: Rivkah Slonim. (From “Messages”—Season 4, Episode 8)

In a letter to one of his disciples, Maimonides describes the taxing daily schedule he endured as court physician to the sultan of Egypt. It not only drained him to the point of exhaustion, it also left him nearly no time to pursue the true joy of his lif...

The last discourse that Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Schneersohn, the Previous Lubavitcher Rebbe, published before his passing commences with the verse “I have come into My garden.” The Previous Rebbe explains that this refers to our world, the innermost dwelling...