Knowledge on the Deeper Side

A Place to Call My Own

Building a Healthy Home and Family

Imagine a year-long whirlwind tour around the world, in which you get to stay in the most luxurious hotels and experience new cultures and visit all sorts of fascinating sites. Truly, a year to remember. And now imagine the moment when you return from your trip, put your key in the lock, and finally find yourself back home.

Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz famously says, “There’s no place like home.” Why is that so? What does a home provide that is critical to who we are and how we feel?

In this lesson we explore why a home is intrinsic to being human, and why our relationship with G-d, with family, and with ourselves can best flourish within the context of a true "home." Plus, we learn practical tools for transforming a house into a home.

The Four Worlds - Part 9

“Writing, Engraving, Carving”

(Recorded at the Intown Jewish Academy on January 31, 2016)

There are various forms of composition. You can write down your thoughts, pen on paper. You can engrave your ideas in stone. And you can carve your sentiments in the form of a sculpture.

Three manners of bringing your ideas to life. Three completely different experiences and realities.

The Kabbalists explain the metaphysics behind writing, engraving, and carving. What they say has much to teach us about how the universe came into being. It also has profound implication for how relate to our ideals, and live by them.

In this session of Kabbalah & Coffee we explore the Kabbalah of Composition.

The Four Worlds - Part 9

“Writing, Engraving, Carving”

(Recorded at the Intown Jewish Academy on January 31, 2016)

There are various forms of composition. You can write down your thoughts, pen on paper. You can engrave your ideas in stone. And you can carve your sentiments in the form of a sculpture.

Three manners of bringing your ideas to life. Three completely different experiences and realities.

The Kabbalists explain the metaphysics behind writing, engraving, and carving. What they say has much to teach us about how the universe came into being. It also has profound implication for how relate to our ideals, and live by them.

In this session of Kabbalah & Coffee we explore the Kabbalah of Composition.

What's Love Got to Do with It?

Finding the Soul of Meaningful Relationships

Love. No theme has been explored more in literature, music, poetry and film. The search for healthy and enduring love remains life's single most powerful driving force. And yet for many, the quest remains elusive.

This lesson contrasts two models of love, our prevalent cultural model and the Jewish/Torah model, and in the process, provides deep insight into what makes a relationship successful. We present guidelines for assessing the potential of a relationship, as well as practical perspectives on deepening an existing relationship.

The Four Worlds - Part 8

“Intelligent Design”

(Recorded at the Intown Jewish Academy on January 24, 2016)

The Kabbalists explain that crafting an idea is like crafting a physical structure: to do it right requires careful planning and meticulous execution.

We know how this works in the context of physical structures. First, the architect draws up the plans. Then the builder reviews the plans, modifies if necessary, and follows the design to implement the creative vision.

The mind works the same way -- even if sometimes we don't recognize it to be so. To really be intellectually productive one must have a plan going in to the contemplative session. This guides the thoughts, and properly directs the intellectual creative process.

But how, exactly, do we plan and design our intellectual sessions to produce dynamic results? We find out in this session of Kabbalah & Coffee.

The Four Worlds - Part 8

“Intelligent Design”

(Recorded at the Intown Jewish Academy on January 24, 2016)

The Kabbalists explain that crafting an idea is like crafting a physical structure: to do it right requires careful planning and meticulous execution.

We know how this works in the context of physical structures. First, the architect draws up the plans. Then the builder reviews the plans, modifies if necessary, and follows the design to implement the creative vision.

The mind works the same way -- even if sometimes we don't recognize it to be so. To really be intellectually productive one must have a plan going in to the contemplative session. This guides the thoughts, and properly directs the intellectual creative process.

But how, exactly, do we plan and design our intellectual sessions to produce dynamic results? We find out in this session of Kabbalah & Coffee.

To Go Bodly Where None Have Gone Before

Writing Your Personal Mission Statement

Why were you born? This lesson establishes the foundation for a meaningful life -- revealing, understanding, discovering, and implementing your purpose. No business can function without a mission statement. Neither can you.

Define Providence

Whose Body Is It, Anyway?

Granted G-d runs the world. But to what extent? If He oversees cataclysmic world changing events, does He also dictate the direction and speed of each gust of wind? When we find ourselves caught in the motions of the daily grind, this lesson offers us a spiritual boost.

The Four Worlds - Part 7

“Non Non - Existence & The Origin Of Wisdom”

(Recorded at the Intown Jewish Academy on January 17, 2016)

Modern science has taught us that most of the universe is made up of empty space. In fact, matter is so incredibly, mind-bogglingly empty, that the entire human race can fit in the volume of a sugar cube. Which tells us that the line between existence and non-existence is oh so very thin.

The Jewish mystics offer a parallel, spiritual teaching. They teach that all of existence begins in a space that does not really exist. It's not non-existence, but it's not really existence either. Think of it as non non-existence.

Now this concept may sound super theoretical and vague -- but in truth it contains a powerful message about our life's purpose. And it also tells us about the origin of wisdom

To be or not to be? Find out in this powerful session of Kabbalah & Coffee.

The Four Worlds - Part 6

"Can't Touch This"

(Recorded at the Intown Jewish Academy on January 10, 2016)

For a long time philosophers have wrestled with a theological conundrum: Is G-d affected by creation and what transpires in the universe or not?

If G-d is affected, then there's some "change" that's happening to G-d. Which is a bit problematic when you consider G-d to be All-Powerful and Unchanging.

If G-d isn't affected, then what we do, what happens here, doesn't actually have any larger meaning. Which is kind of disappointing to hear for us.

Kabbalah opens up a third possibility: G-d is neither affected nor unaffected by creation. G-d is G-d -- and that answers all the questions.

The trick is knowing Who/What G-d is. Which is what we'll explore in this session of Kabbalah & Coffee.