Returance (Judaism Q/A, part 5).

Returance (Judaism Q/A, part 5).

Part 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. In part 4 we discussed free-will, which is enabled by the mere existence of balanced things/events (such as good vs bad). But if we look back at things we did, for example, let’s say I bought a car last year. So, it is a fact I have that...
Returance (Judaism Q/A, part 5).

Past-lives and free will (Judaism Q/A, part 4).

Part 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. God makes Himself unseen while He is always present in our life. We now go to explore our own lives, and ask: is there a concept in Judaism of ‘past life’? Yes; very much so. Nowadays it is considered that most of us are reincarnation...
Returance (Judaism Q/A, part 5).

Illumination (Judaism Q/A, part 3).

Part 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. If God created this world and is in this world, why some people say they cannot see/feel Him? We find answers in the Kaballa and particularly in the Kitvei Arizal, the famous writings of the famous Kabalist who lived in Syria, who wrote the...
Returance (Judaism Q/A, part 5).

Blessings (Judaism Q/A, part 2).

Part 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Many times we say blessings, Bracha. We say ‘Baruch Ata HaShem’, ‘Blessed are You, God’, but what does it mean, blessed? What are we blessing? It doesn’t have any real meaning, because we don’t need to bless God… maybe God needs to bless us…...
Returance (Judaism Q/A, part 5).

Creation (Judaism Q/A, part 1).

Part 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. The Jewish Bible, the Tanach, is a written document. Why God did not just ‘implement’ its wisdom into our hearts? why have it as a book to read? One answer is that God wants us to have a part in the creative process. He doesn’t give us...
Lessons in Tanya – Chapter 1 (pt4)

Lessons in Tanya – Chapter 1 (pt4)

with Gil Dekel. ואפילו העובר על איסור קל של דברי סופרים מקרי רשע כדאיתא בפ”ב דיבמות ובפ”ק דנדה “Even if a person transgresses only a very light rabbinical prohibition [one which was forbidden by the sages, but isn’t explicitly mentioned in the...
Lessons in Tanya – Chapter 1 (pt4)

Lessons in Tanya – Chapter 1 (pt3)

with Gil Dekel. ולהבין כל זה באר היטב וגם להבין מה שאמר איוב [ב”ב פ”א] רבש”ע בראת צדיקי’ בראת רשעי’ כו’ The Alter Rebbe goes on now to explain a few views on what Beinoni is and what he is not. Alter Rebbe says “we’re going to have...
Lessons in Tanya – Chapter 1 (pt4)

Lessons in Tanya – Chapter 1 (pt2)

with Gil Dekel. אך הענין כי הנה מצינו בגמרא ה’ חלוקות. צדיק וטוב לו צדיק ורע לו רשע וטוב לו רשע ורע לו ובינוני. “The matter is as follows. We find in the Gemara five categories [of human beings]. Tzadik ve Tov Lo, Tzadik ve Ra Lo, Rasha ve Tov Lo, Rasha ve Ra...
Lessons in Tanya – Chapter 1 (pt4)

Lessons in Tanya – Chapter 1 (pt1)

ליקוטי אמרים, ספר של בינונים, פרק א’ תניאבספ”ג דנדה משביעים אותו תהי צדיק ואל תהי רשעIn this first ‘Perek’ (chapter) of the Tanya book, we are being referred to the end of the third chapter of the tract page from a different book – the Talmud tract...
Lessons in Tanya – Chapter 1 (pt4)

Lessons in Tanya – Sha’ar (title page)

With Gil Dekel. ספר ליקוטי אמרים חלק ראשון הנקרא בשם ספר של בינונים We start with the title page of the Tanya book, which is known by the name the ‘book of Beinonim’, or book of the average person, the intermediate, ‘Sefer Shel Beinonim’; in Hebrew:   ספר...