Introduction Rabbi Chaim Vital, a seminal Kabbalistic figure, left an indelible mark on Jewish thought. Born in 1543 in Calabria, Italy, and later settling in Tzfat, Israel, he became one of the chief disciples of Rabbi Isaac Luria. He was instrumental in transcribing and disseminating Luria’s teachings, culminating in influential…
Category: Kabbalah
The Farmer’s Reminder to the Priest: A Fresh Look at Deuteronomy’s First Fruits
In Deuteronomy chapter 26, we find a significant ritual: the offering of the first fruits to the priest in the Jerusalem temple. The text states, “and he came to the Cohen (priest) that will be in those days and you shall say to him… ‘I declare today to the LORD…
Actually Receiving The Energies
We read in this weeks’ Torah portion how Moses tells the Jewish people that it will be because (Eikev) you will listen to these ordinances, and you will observe and perform them, that God your God, will safeguard for you the covenant and the kindness that he swore to your…
Manipulating the Energies
We have all experienced interesting coincidences in our lives. Some of us, however, experience them more often and more intensely than others. But are they really coincidences or is there something else at work here. There is a story in this weeks’ Torah portion that sheds light on the phenomena…
Keter: The Kabbalah of Balancing Our Wills
Anything to excess is not good for us. Too much anger can ruin a relationship as can an excess of kindness. Overeating is harmful, but an over- preoccupation with becoming slender can lead to anorexia. As Maimonides said, one must live a balanced life, steering the middle path between too…
The Kabbalah of Lust
The headline in the Sunday Times read: ‘Stop feeling guilty: lust is good for you’. I was intrigued and read on. But I was disappointed; the article did not actually say that lust itself was good for you. It was predicated on an essay written by Professor Simon Blackburn saying…
Matisyahu: A Deconstructionist Rabbi
Matisyahu is now an international phenomenon; he is a reggae singer with a difference. Instead of dreadlocks he sports a trilby. His beard is predicated on the Kabbalists’ theosophy instead of Rastafarian tradition and his clothing places him in an Ultra Orthodox Jewish enclave rather than a black ghetto. Now…
Don’t Be Afraid Just Ask
There is a golden rule known to every preacher: always start your sermons with a question. A good question captivates and has the audience craving a resolution. If a clever answer is given to a profound question, the sermon can be considered to have been successful. Questions are the greatest…