Conscious Relationships

Conscious Relationships “As the sons (Yaakov and Esav) grew up, Esav became a man who knows to hunt, a man of the field….and Yitzchak loved Esav.” -Breisheit / Genesis 25:28 What does the Torah mean when it says, “knows to hunt” instead of merely being a hunter? And why two separate things of being a [...]

Hearing, Yearning and Being Spiritually In-Tune

Hearing, Yearning and Being Spiritually In-Tune “If you will listen to the voice of God your God…” – Dvarim (Deuteronomy) 28:15 Perhaps this statement in the Torah is talking directly to crazy people who hear voices. It clearly seems not to be talking to people who don’t hear voices – and yet this verse is [...]

Going Out Into Nature: The Secret to Spiritual Growth

Today is the birthday of the Baal Shem Tov (b.1698), one of the greatest luminaries of the Jewish people – who began one of the most radical movements in Jewish history. The movement that the Baal Shem Tov began became known as the “Chasidic” movement, from the Hebrew word “Chasid” meaning pious, righteous, invigorated and alive. The [...]

Joy: The Truth of Living

Joy – The Truth of Living 1)       Dvarim 28:47 – Understanding the Outcome of a Life Without Joy In the Torah’s description of cause and effect, the Torah defines the outcome of suffering “…because you did not serve God with true happiness and a joyous heart”. The verse does imply however that the Jewish people [...]

Talking to God

“When the Mashiach / Messiah will come, the people of the world will be in a state of confusion. But someone who spends time everyday alone talking to God will be as if waking up from a nap with a settled mind.”
- Rebbe Nachman of Breslov
Sichot HaRan

The second step in attaining a settled mind is [...]

Attaining a Settled Mind

“The main thing is to have a settled mind”
- Rav Levi Yitzvhak Bender,
Leading Rabbi of Breslov
Of the previous generation
Amidst the business of a workday with all of one’s activities, responsibilities and errands – is it possible to go through an entire day with a settled mind?
God created us with spiritual capacities and powers beyond what [...]