A philosopher once said, “Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it”. A basic principle in Judaism is that every action, word, and thought has purpose. This applies to all areas of life, however mundane they may seem. In Judaism, we uplift the physical to the spiritual realm, infusing our every action with purpose and meaning.
Continue reading →In this week’s Parsha, we learn that a Jew’s expression of mourning should be within reason. When a neshama (soul) departs this world, we are commanded not to exaggerate our expression of mourning by inflicting upon ourselves any physical harm. The verse reads (Devarim 14, 1):
Continue reading →Gratitude is one of the most important qualities a person should display. By recognizing positive deeds, we bring greatness to the world. In contrast, when we overlook or deny the good that we have been blessed with, we are preventing ourselves and the world from embodying good.
Continue reading →The word “love” opens many doors of possibilities. Throughout the Torah, we find depictions of love between man and Hashem, as well as between Hashem and the Nation of Israel. In this week’s Parsha, we are clued in to what love is really about.
Continue reading →This week we begin reading the last volume of the five books of the Torah. Each book of the Torah has its own special message. For example, in the book of Breishit (Genesis), we learn about the values of family, honesty, and love through the stories of our fore fathers.
Continue reading →Life is a journey. Every part of the way effects what may follow. Mistakes can be made but they are meant to be learnt from. When we are young, our journey is intensified. As we grow older, we use the knowledge gained from our life experiences to improve ourselves. The prophet Yirmiyahu agrees with such a concept. In his book Eichah (Lamentations 3, 27) he writes:
Continue reading →In modern times, a fundamental question is how to relate action to intent. If one was to give charity but not to do it with a whole heart, is that action admirable? If someone did not mean to hurt another human being but does so, is that action forgivable? The same question is also true with regard to intent without any positive action. If someone attempts to help a friend but does not actually do so, is he a commendable person? This important dichotomy has deep meaning in religion as well. What matters more in serving Hashem, action or intent? Hashem has the power to see through our hearts and minds. What is more important to Hashem, being a good Jew at heart but performing few Mitzvot or being the type of Jew who does many Mitzvot but without real Kavanah, meaningful intent?
Continue reading →Rav Chaim Volozhin, the creator of the Yeshiva system that we have today, constantly emphasized that, as Jews, our most seemingly insignificant actions can have tremendous results. Rav Chaim Volozhin explained that according to Kabbalah, many worlds exist between our world and the world of spirits. When Jews act, their actions have great effect in all those worlds. Many of us realize, but have not have internalized that anything we say or do can have both positive and negative consequences.
Continue reading →Rav Chaim Volozhin, the creator of the Yeshiva system that we have today, constantly emphasized that, as Jews, our most seemingly insignificant actions can have tremendous results. Rav Chaim Volozhin explained that according to Kabbalah, many worlds exist between our world and the world of spirits. When Jews act, their actions have great effect in all those worlds. Many of us realize, but have not have internalized that anything we say or do can have both positive and negative consequences.
Continue reading →Hans Sleye once said, “Adopting the right attitude can convert a negative stress into a positive one”. In our religion, we as always aspire to gain deep knowledge to enable us to deal with all of life’s difficulties. We believe that when can understand every detail of our religion, we connect more deeply to Hashem and his Torah.
Continue reading →