There is a gap that runs through most spiritual lives—between the practices we maintain and the transformation serious practitioners seek. The forms are kept. The calendar is followed. The observances are honored. And yet something essential remains unchanged, untouched by all the outward faithfulness. It is only in bridging this gap that the true transformation
Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may
Righteousness in Secret Read More »
Forty days have passed. Moses returns from the peak of Sinai to find his people in celebration of a new god, a calf of gold. Idolatry. In his hands are G-d’s perfect words, pressed into stone by the Divine itself—the most sacred objects in human history. Zohar tells us the letters on the tablets of
The world has been stripped, silent, cold for months. The light is thin; the fields are empty—a bone-deep exhaustion settled over everything. This is the long dark—winter not just as season of nature, but cosmologically. And yet, nature has begun to stir. Much of the snow has started to retreat. Queen Persephone prepares to return
You Thought This Was The End? Read More »
“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your
Retaliation and Enemy Love Read More »
Last week, in Parashat Terumah, we examined the construction of the interior Mishkan—the dwelling place built within the human heart through precision, proper materials, and correct order. The Ark secured at center, containing the covenant. The Table and Menorah in the Holy Place. The veil marking the boundary between Holy and Holy of Holies. The
Kalani me-roshi, kalani mi-zero’i. My head is heavy. My arms are heavy. This is G-d speaking. Not metaphor. Not poetic language about divine transcendence observing human suffering from a distance. The Talmud records this in Tractate Sanhedrin: when a person suffers, the Shekhinah says, “My head is heavy, my arms are heavy.” The Divine Presence
“Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord. But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is G-d’s throne; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it
Let Your Yes Be Yes Read More »
Parashat Terumah presents what appears, at first glance, to be an ancient construction manual. Ten cubits by one and a half cubits. Acacia wood overlaid with pure gold. Loops of blue, clasps of gold, curtains of fine twisted linen. The level of specificity is extraordinary—measurements precise to the half-cubit, materials specified down to the type
As a writer, it is always essential to maintain form and substance. I work very hard to ensure my work is error free, meets the standards of the Chicago Style Manual, and offers proper, accurate citations where applicable. Artificial Intelligence has become the modern writer’s most versatile tool—part copy editor, part research assistant. It assists
Consciousness: Ephemeral and Enduring Read More »
