Beware the Majority Reports
It has become a popular saying, often attributed to Mark Twain (although there is no known source that he ever said it) that, ‘If you don’t read the newspaper, you’re uninformed, but if you read the newspaper, you’re misinformed.’ If … Continued
The Hands of G-d During the Exodus
It is taught in Kabbalah that Hashem has three hands: יָד הַגְּדוֹלָה [yad ha-gedolah, the great hand], יָד הַחֲזָקָה [yad ha-chazakah, the strong hand], and יַד הָרָמָה [yad ha-ramah, the exalted hand]. What are these hands? They are spiritual lights, … Continued
The Three Hands of Hashem
A number of months ago, a friend of mine asked me why some people (such as ‘yours truly’) clap from time to time during davening, even during Shemoneh Esreh itself. At the time, I didn’t give him much of an … Continued
The Double-Edged Sword of Gevurah
As is known, ‘left’, ‘right’ and ‘middle’ aspects exist in the structure of the Supernal Lights, i.e. the sefirot in the world of Atzilut. The right side descends from chochmah (‘wisdom’) and is dominated by chesed (loving-kindness, giving), the left … Continued
Strolling Around the Mall
In last week’s article, The Danger of Breathing in Poisoned Air, we learned that the transgression that led to the Jewish men leaving their holy encampment and going to the Midianite market was because they were not breathing in the … Continued