Audio talks on our daily lives
(All talks about ten minutes)
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The Quest for Brotherhood
The story of Joseph and his brothers is a story filled with passion, anger and reconciliation. Most of all, it is a story that describes the search for and the development of the quality of brotherhood. Interestingly, although other brothers have been described in the Torah, the quality of brotherhood has not, until now, been one sought for. Ever since Cain and Abel, the most that any pair of brothers has looked for is for the different brothers, Isaac and Ishmael, or Jacob and Esau, to part and go their independent ways in peace. In contrast, all twelve sons of Jacob are called the 12 tribes of Yah. They all follow the path taught by Abraham, developed by Isaac, and brought to fruition by Jacob. Yet, they are twelve distinct individuals who each have their own way of serving God. We can see that from the blessings that Jacob gave each one of them before he died. It seems that it was these differences that were the main cause of contention between them. Joseph’s way of working for God was most suited for the end of the Tikkun, the time of redemption. Indeed his pathway is that of redeemer, as he redeems the land of Egypt and Canaan from the terrible scourge of famine. Judah, in contrast , believes that faith and prayer is the right way to serve God. They could not agree. In the search for brotherhood, the brothers first have to develop the vessel for the light of brotherhood, that is, they have to develop the lack and the need in their awareness for brotherhood. This certainly occurred as a consequence of selling Joseph as a slave in Egypt. The Zohar tells us that fascinatingly enough the holy Shechinah, the Divine presence, agreed with this act!? Maybe it was because, as Rabbi Yehudah Leib Ashlag teaches, no light may be attained unless there is the appropriate vessel for it. So in order for the light of brotherhood to be attained, first the vessel needs to be created. Ultimately, all Israel needed to develop the quality of brotherhood between, not only all the members of one family, but between all the members of one nation, until we could all come to stand at Mount Sinai, to receive the Torah ” as one man with one heart.” Rabbi Ashlag, in his great work, Matan Torah, teaches that the complete fulfillment of the Torah both then and now, is the same requirement. Of coming together as “one man with one heart.” Listen |
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Coronavirus, Chaos, and Kabbalah
Our world, both politically and culturally is in turmoil. Our value systems are being turned upside down. Freedom of speech in the West is no longer guaranteed. Our economic systems serve only a few with the majority suffering under huge burdens. And, in more than one country, democracy itself and the freedom of the individual are under attack. All this was true before, but now added to that is the Coronavirus crisis and the latest riots in the US and the world. Where are we heading? Times of chaos are definitely uncomfortable for us: and we are the individuals who are destined to live through them. But such times also provide opportunities for us to reassess our values and to make new decisions in the directions that we, as individuals, as families, and as communities want to go. Listen |
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What do we ask forgiveness for?
When we look back on our lives, we find many things we wish we had done differently. Yet ultimately everything that transpired did so according to the will of God. So what do we need to say sorry for? This question was asked by the great Kabbalist Rabbi Baruch Shalom Ashlag. He considers a saying of the Sages of the Talmud, " The evil inclination would prevail over a person every day and if God does not help him he does not manage to overcome it. " This would seem to suggest that we are not to blame for our sins. In which case what is the real sin? In this article, Rabbi Ashlag looks at the source of our mistakes, and shows us that the real sin lies in our not asking for help from the Creator to deal with them. We need to believe that not only God wants to help us , but that He really can! Listen now |
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Becoming Adam
Every person, whether male or female, who aspires to become close to the Creator in the sense of resembling HaShem in giving unconditional love to his or her fellows or to the Creator is called by the name of Adam, from the scripture אדמה לעליון, "I will resemble the Most High." How can we become Adam? How can we attain the desire of becoming the best we can be? Listen now |
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Feeling sad , feeling happy, in our service to God
Feeling sad and feeling happy all at the same time? Conflicting emotions aren't that rare; interestingly enough the Zohar talks about them in context with the person who wants to draw closer to God again after having strayed. How can he come close to God when he is feeling sad, when the injunction is " serve the Lord with gladness" !? Rabbi Baruch Ashlag looks at this Zohar with sympathy and depth. Listen |
Crocodylus niloticus in Lake Chamo 02" by Bernard Gagnon
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Dealing with our inner Pharaoh
"In every generation, a man is obliged to see himself or herself, as if he is coming out of Egypt." The coming out of Egypt, is a present reality for each and every one of us. Each one of us has within us our own personal Egypt, our own limitations that we need help in overcoming. We need our own redemption. Listen |
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True Unity
" the most important way, that stands before you today, is in the union of the companions. Make greater and greater efforts in this aspect, for it has within it the ability to compensate for all lacks. Rabbi Ashlag Igeret Parshat shemot 5685 Warsaw. Listen Now |
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Returning to our Source: Teshuvah
The soul's origin is God. To return, to do the work of teshuvah, is to return to our origin;This opportunity is a gift of the Creator to all of creation. From the teachings of Rabbi Kook and Rabbi Baruch Shalom Ashlag. Listen |
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Called to Prayer
Prayer is our connection with our Source. Yet there are many sad and broken people in the world who yet do not call out to the Divine for help. Rabbi Ashlag teaches us that the very turning to God constitutes a Divine call to us. Zohar Listen |
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Our inner enslavement / our inner redemption
Pharaoh of old denied God asking, “who is God that I should listen to his voice”? A similar voice inside us puts God in second place, giving priority to the strident demands of the ego. download/ Listen now |
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Feelings: A gift of the physical world
Our feelings actually originate with the very Thought of Creation, whereby the Creator desires to give pleasure to all the created beings. Thus we all long for pleasure, and that is a given. But what is not a given, is how we receive this pleasure? download/ Listen |
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"And God spoke to Abraham".
Since the flood, silence. God had not revealed himself to mankind again. What was He waiting for? On the finish of the Creation, the words of the Torah are, vayhal Elohim, "and God finished". But the Holy Or HaChaim, Rabbi Ibn Atar, tells us that these words also have the connotation of God "yearning" for Man. What was He yearning for? download/ Listen now |
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When God's light is hidden
"O God, My God, You, I seek You. My soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for You, in an arid and thirsty land without water" ( Psalm 63). David said these words when he was in sorrow and trouble and is teaching the consciousness of God's light when it is concealed from us and how we may yet connect with God even when we can't. From the Zohar. download/ Listen |
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God blesses us, we bless God; a holy dialogue
A holy dialogue increases the life and goodness in the world. Blessing God for everything we enjoy is a simple and wonderful way that Judaism teaches us to change the one-way flow of God's goodness into a productive dialogue. download/ Listen Now |
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Taking it personally: Cain and Abel:
By considering what the basic identity and makeup of Cain and Abel was, we can find how they are in fact elements represented in each one of us. Once we have identified them, we can ask ourselves the most important question of all: How do we stop our inner Cain "murdering" our inner Abel? download Listen now |
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The Ascent of Prayer
The worlds are connected with each other like a staircase. Influencing each other. Man has a crucial and pivotal role to play in Creation. and prayer , when it goes up can influence for the good.Dedicated to the safe return of Ayal ben Iris Teshurah, Gilad Michael ben Bat Galim,Yaakov Naftali Ben Rachel Devorah. download/ Listen Now |
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Keeping faith in good times and bad
We all have moments of connection with our soul, with the Divine within us,....and we all have moments when we feel sad or depressed or spiritless. How do we keep ourselves from falling into the grip of the will to receive for ourselves alone and ending up separated from our soul, from God? download/ Listen Now |
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Acting "out of the box"
"It is a natural law for every created being, that whatever is to be found outside the framework of his own body, seems to him to be empty and completely unreal." Rabbi Ashlag, Matan Torah. download Listen |
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"God is my strength and my song; He will be for me a salvation."
A lesson from the Zohar itself. download/ Listen now |
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"Make for Me a sanctuary so I may dwell within them."
The sanctuary, the Mishkan, its structure and its service, is like a map. It details both the essence of the soul, and also guides us so can come to the soul's fulfillment in actual practice It is our inner sanctuary we must now build. download listen. |
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"I saw an upside down world" (Pesachim 50a
Rabbi Yoseph Ben Yehoshua ben Levi had a near death experience. When he had recovered he told that he saw in the next world, a world of opposite values to those we value in this ego -ruled world. Chasing after our ego values is like chasing after tinsel. download/ listen. |
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What are we really looking for?
This question stands at the center of our lives, our hopes, our dreams. It is the motivating force that drives us forwards. download listen now. |
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Mixed Motives: Are they any good?
When we start to learn the Kabbalah of Rabbi Ashlag and we learn that most of our desires are driven by our will to receive for ourselves alone, which separates us from the Creator it comes as a shock. download listen now |
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Learning the Language of Love
Love your neighbor as yourself is actually a statement which sums up the whole of the Torah. In this talk we look at the relationship between loving our neighbor unconditionally and the soul. From Matan Torah by Rabbi Ashlag. download listen now |
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Letting go of the light
Why did Avraham break off from his communication with God and turn to give hospitality to the angels? This tiny detail in the life of Avraham Aveinu, has a profound meaning for us today.download listen now |
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Faith: Torah from the Years of Fury
The holy Rabbi of Pieczetsna, Rabbi Kalonymus Kalman Shapira, taught his community during the last years of the Warsaw Ghetto. He faced this issue of faith in God in the worst of all imaginable circumstances. listen now |
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Feelings: True or false?
listen now |
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Choosing our path
The souls exist in different states simultaneously. how and in what way do I choose my path? From the teachings of Rabbi Ashlag. listen now |
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Why the soul incarnates: A letter by Rabbi Ashlag
Why did the soul, so perfect and pure, come into this troubled and difficult existence? From a letter written by the Baal haSulam listen now |
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The Divine Providence and I
The Purpose of Creation seems remote from us. Yet, all. that happens to us and all that we choose is in fact the consequence of the Purpose of the Creation unfolding right within our lives listen now |
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Blessing God's Name: Changing the challenge into an opportunity
When we say the first six words of the Shema, tradition has it that we respond with a whisper, "Blessed be His glorious Name for ever and ever. download listen now |
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Loving God 3: In good times and in bad
Loving God isn't an easy thing for most of us. We tend to take the good times as our due or for granted , and in bad we just feel miserable and angry. How can we remain open to love? listen now |
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Loving God 2: Like Abraham or like Noah?
How did Noah , the father of all humanity, and Abraham our father. come to love God? Can we learn from their approach? listen now |
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Loving God, The second root mitzvah:
Is it at all possible? What does love mean? Can one command a feeling? listen now |
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Yirat HaShem 3: True Yirah vs. false fear
Opposing the true Yirat HaShem, which is the desire not to do anything that will harm our relationship with the Divine, lies the potential space in consciousness for our false fears. The fears that are self-serving. listen now |
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Yirat HaShem 2-The very beginning and basis of our relationship with the Divine
Yirat HaShem, actually means the fear of doing anything that will cause me to become separated from the Divine. Both the Divine within and the Divine without. This is not a theoretical issue, but one which actually forms both the beginning, and the ongoing experience of the most important relationship we have. listen now |
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Yirat HaShem- the fear of being separated from the Divine
The beginning of wisdom, knowledge and faith... listen now |
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Expecting a Reward
Giving unconditionally, without getting a reward, was built into the very beginning of the Creation. listen now |
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Dealing with dilemmas
Have you ever found yourself in the uncomfortable position of being asked to do more than you really can? interestingly enough, this is the very position the highest spiritual entity in the very first of the spiritual worlds found itself in… listen now |
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Further on Decisions
Sometimes life presents me with a situation which seems impossible to resolve. The Creator created the worlds with increasing concealment in order to give human beings free choice. Based on Rabbi Ashlag’s article on “Freedom”. listen now |
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Decisions
The Baal Shem Tov teaches us that before we make any move we need to consider ourselves as having infinite free choice. After the event we need to consider that the move we chose was the one God wanted us to choose. listen now |
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The meaning of the Akedah
The great Kabbalist, the Ari informs us that the essence of God is unknowable. Even the highest angels have no conception of Him as He is in Himself, as He has no Name. listen now |
