Knowledge on the Deeper Side

It's Just a Mistake, Isn't It?

Identifying Your Unconscious Self

With Rabbi Ari Sollish

(Recorded live at the Intown Jewish Academy on May 1, 2019)

We all make mistakes. Period. That's a fact of life. So why does the Torah require atonement for an inadvertent sin? Explore the pathways of consciousness exemplified in the Torah's prescription for sin. You'll be surprised to learn that you may not be who you really think you are.

It's Just a Mistake, Isn't It?

Identifying Your Unconscious Self

With Rabbi Ari Sollish

(Recorded live at the Intown Jewish Academy on May 1, 2019)

We all make mistakes. Period. That's a fact of life. So why does the Torah require atonement for an inadvertent sin? Explore the pathways of consciousness exemplified in the Torah's prescription for sin. You'll be surprised to learn that you may not be who you really think you are.

A Stranger to Passover

Developing a Taste for the Divine

With Rabbi Ari Sollish

(Recorded live at the Intown Jewish Academy on April 10, 2019)

Not unlike fine wine and whiskey, a taste for G-d needs to be developed. Passover is a time of personal connection, a time to become a real connoisseur of spirituality. This lesson explains how.

A Stranger to Passover

Developing a Taste for the Divine

With Rabbi Ari Sollish

(Recorded live at the Intown Jewish Academy on April 10, 2019)

Not unlike fine wine and whiskey, a taste for G-d needs to be developed. Passover is a time of personal connection, a time to become a real connoisseur of spirituality. This lesson explains how.

Decoding the Universe - Part 22

"Outside/Inside"

With Rabbi Ari Sollish

(Recorded live at the Intown Jewish Academy on April 14, 2019)

Kabbalah speaks of the Divine light as being both encompassing and immanent. In the native tongue of the mystics, these two spiritual modalities are known as "sovev kol almin" and "memalei kol almin."

But what exactly is the difference between G-d's encompassing light and immanent light? Why are both needed for the purposes of creation and existence? And what sort of message does all of this hold for us, today?

In this session of Kabbalah & Coffee we explore the spiritual forces that govern existence.

Decoding the Universe - Part 22

"Outside/Inside"

With Rabbi Ari Sollish

(Recorded live at the Intown Jewish Academy on April 14, 2019)

Kabbalah speaks of the Divine light as being both encompassing and immanent. In the native tongue of the mystics, these two spiritual modalities are known as "sovev kol almin" and "memalei kol almin."

But what exactly is the difference between G-d's encompassing light and immanent light? Why are both needed for the purposes of creation and existence? And what sort of message does all of this hold for us, today?

In this session of Kabbalah & Coffee we explore the spiritual forces that govern existence.

Decoding the Universe - Part 21

"The Great Kabbalistic Debate"

With Rabbi Ari Sollish

(Recorded live at the Intown Jewish Academy on April 7, 2019)

The Kabbalists generally agree on all things spiritual. With one major exception: the tzimtzum.

The doctrine of the tzimtzum was revealed by the great Kabbalist Rabbi Isaac Luria in the 16th century. It revolutionized the way people understood the origins of existence. And it sparked a fierce debate.

"Before Creation, G-d's supernal and undefined light was the only existence... When it arose in His undefined will to create... He condensed Himself... and an empty space emerged."

These are the words in the Arizal's Eitz Chaim that first introduced the notion of tzimtzum, and ultimately pitted Kabbalist against Kabbalist.

In this session of Kabbalah & Coffee we explore the tzimtzum and the great mystical debate.

Decoding the Universe - Part 21

"The Great Kabbalistic Debate"

With Rabbi Ari Sollish

(Recorded live at the Intown Jewish Academy on April 7, 2019)

The Kabbalists generally agree on all things spiritual. With one major exception: the tzimtzum.

The doctrine of the tzimtzum was revealed by the great Kabbalist Rabbi Isaac Luria in the 16th century. It revolutionized the way people understood the origins of existence. And it sparked a fierce debate.

"Before Creation, G-d's supernal and undefined light was the only existence... When it arose in His undefined will to create... He condensed Himself... and an empty space emerged."

These are the words in the Arizal's Eitz Chaim that first introduced the notion of tzimtzum, and ultimately pitted Kabbalist against Kabbalist.

In this session of Kabbalah & Coffee we explore the tzimtzum and the great mystical debate.

An Ounce of Prevention

Addressing Crime Before It Happens

With Rabbi Ari Sollish

(Recorded live at the Intown Jewish Academy on April 2, 2019)

The best way to improve the criminal justice system is by keeping people out of it. But before any attempt to prevent crime can be made, its causes and preconditions must be better understood. Judaism has long recognized the role of societal factors in the commission of crime: poverty and unemployment are significant, as are education, values, and personal character. This final lesson discusses the roots of criminality, several specific preventative policy proposals, and the various concerns associated with them.

An Ounce of Prevention

Addressing Crime Before It Happens

With Rabbi Ari Sollish

(Recorded live at the Intown Jewish Academy on April 2, 2019)

The best way to improve the criminal justice system is by keeping people out of it. But before any attempt to prevent crime can be made, its causes and preconditions must be better understood. Judaism has long recognized the role of societal factors in the commission of crime: poverty and unemployment are significant, as are education, values, and personal character. This final lesson discusses the roots of criminality, several specific preventative policy proposals, and the various concerns associated with them.