Why Despondency Is More Dangerous Than Mistakes.
Despondency is not just a bad mood but a force that undermines the will itself and deprives a person of freedom of…
Spiritual Breakfast
- All
- Spiritual Breakfast 242
- Pocket notes 14
- Weekly Torah portion 9
- Judaism 8
- Vayakhel — Pekudei 8
- Theological turmoil 8
- Tetzaveh 6
- Terumah 6
- Ki Tisa 6
- Transcript 4
- Where is it written? 4
- Miscellaneous 4
- Holidays 3
- Jewish calendar 3
- Foundations of faith 3
- Ask a Jew 2
- Passover 2
- Sukkot 2
- Torah and psychology 2
- Vayikra 2
- Shabbat 1
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When an Outward Ritual Becomes an Inner Movement.
The almighty Creator gains nothing from our prayers and sacrifices — service concerns our inner state. Korban means “drawing near”: the outward…
Punishment Is God’s Business, Restoration Is Man’s
Retribution exists, but it does not work according to our expectations: the Almighty is not obliged to stage a show of justice…
Where Does Evil Come From If God Is Good? An Answer Through Human Freedom
God created man without an evil inclination, but free — and freedom means a real possibility of choosing both good and its…
Beyond Time: How God’s Knowledge Relates to Human Freedom
How is freedom of choice possible if God knows everything in advance? The contradiction arises only when we project onto God a…
“The Tamid Effect”
Between “I decided” and “I did” lies a whole chasm, and abrupt changes rarely take root. The daily tamid offering teaches that…
Faith: If Not Blind, Then How?
In Judaism faith is not a switching-off of the mind but the result of its work. The Torah says not “believe” but…
Shabbat: What We Really Need It For
Shabbat is not just a day off but a day of stopping in the deepest sense. The Creator “ceased and was refreshed”:…
How to Fight Yourself: A Conversation About Bad Impulses
The inner “negotiator” exaggerates how hard good is and downplays the consequences of evil — just as the Serpent did in Eden.…
Why Believe That God Is One?
The world seems chaotic, but the Shema proclaims that One stands behind everything. The Ramchal explains that God’s oneness is not arithmetic…
On Thoughts That Frighten Us (and What to Do With Them)
We don’t choose which thought comes into our head, but we are responsible for what we do with it. A bad thought…
Conscience: How It Works, Why It Can Fall Silent, and What to Do About It.
Conscience is the inner voice of the good inclination, implanted in every person. Ignore it again and again and it grows quieter,…
