Knowledge on the Deeper Side

The Four Worlds - Part 13

“Blind Spots”

(Recorded at the Intown Jewish Academy on March 6, 2016)

Sometimes things are so close you can't even see them. It's like a blind spot. Things that are further ahead or behind you can see, but not what's right next to you.

We're faced with a similar challenge when it comes to our soul. Nothing can possibly be closer to us than our own soul. And yet our soul is so hard to see. Precisely because it's so close.

Enter Kabbalah. The Jewish mystics reveal to us what our soul looks like. What's going on under the hood. What's happening inside of us right now. The really close stuff, the stuff we could never see on our own.

In this session of Kabbalah & Coffee we'll learn the secrets of the soul. We'll gain the ability to see what's right there inside us. And we'll get rid of those pesky blind spots.

Esther's Defining Moment

The Woman Who Saved Millions of Lives

If we see someone who needs help, logic suggests that we try to help out. But must we go above and beyond? To what extent are we expected to sacrifice for another? Maybe, just maybe, the whole world is waiting for us to rise up to the challenge...

Goats of the Tabernacle

Perceiving the Pain of Others

A person who is caring will help someone when they have the time. A person who is generous will share what he has. Sometimes, however, later is not an option and helping out is not enough. Sometimes we need to abandon the modus operandi and just take action.

Goats of the Tabernacle

Perceiving the Pain of Others

A person who is caring will help someone when they have the time. A person who is generous will share what he has. Sometimes, however, later is not an option and helping out is not enough. Sometimes we need to abandon the modus operandi and just take action.

The Jewish Course of Why - Lesson 2

Have you ever wondered...

Why is the Star of David a Jewish symbol?

Why does a mikveh “purify”?

Why do people require “purification” in the first place?

Why do many Jews sway when they pray?

Why do traditional synagogues have separate seating for men and women?

Why does the Bible call for animal sacrifices?

We explore these questions and more in Lesson 2 of The Jewish Course of Why.

The Jewish Course of Why - Lesson 1

Have you ever wondered...

Why are there no miracles today of biblical proportion?

Why ask "Why?"? Isn't Judaism a belief system?

Why do we pray? Doesn't God know what He is doing? Can we really change His will?

Why is there so much fragmentation in Jewish practice?

Why don't Jews accept the Christian messiah?

Why do we kindle yartzeit candles to commemorate the dead?

Why have the Jews survived millennia while so many other civilizations have vanished?

We explore these questions and more in Lesson 1 of The Jewish Course of Why.

True Dedication

Building the Tabernacle Together

The Jewish nation as a whole maintains a certain flavor. But the nation is comprised of individuals, each with his or her own unique character. So, if combined effort is the goal, do I need to be myself, or can I just go with the flow?

Need Change? Inquire Within

How Repentance Works

Sometimes we are really good at being imperfect. After all, that's how G-d created us. On the flip side, G-d also created us with the ability to change. We can fix our errors, but it requires effort.

The Four Worlds - Part 11

“Time and Space”

(Recorded at the Intown Jewish Academy on February 14, 2016)

In a time before time... In a space beyond space... There was....

Wait -- what exactly was there before time? How do you even measure "before" and "after" if there's no time? And what is beyond space anyway? Where does it exist, if there's no space?

These are just some of the questions that come to mind when trying to imagine a reality beyond our own. These questions are very relevant when exploring the four spiritual "worlds" of Kabbalah.

In this session of Kabbalah & Coffee we travel beyond the here and now to ponder a completely different state of reality. Along the journey we'll discover that the more we know about the metaphysical realm, the more we know about our own.

Where Heaven Meets Earth

Exploring G-d and Faith

The subject of G-d, faith, and religion brings up different reactions in people based on their past experiences and perceptions. Some react positively, some negatively, some with cynicism, some with indifference. And these preconceptions and reactions shape the kind of relationship we form with G-d.

But what if we were willing to revisit that relationship? We would need to start by reconsidering what the idea of G-d means to us. And we would need to consider how it might be possible to forge a true connection. Relationships take work to build and sustain -- and a relationship with G-d is a lifetime of work.

In this session of Toward a Meaningful Life we explore what might be gained by making the effort to deepen the way we think about G-d.