Losing Its Original Identity

Nothing can change from one thing to another without first losing its original identity. Thus, for example, before an egg can grow into a chicken, it must completely cease to be an egg. Each thing must lose its original identity before it can be something else. Therefore, before a thing is transformed into something else, [...]

The Nature Of The Da’at Consciousness

The nature of the Egyptian exile was that the people lacked da’at – the ability to conclude that there is One Creator, “who in His goodness, constantly renews the act of creation”  - until Moses came and showed that there is One Creator who constantly renews the world.The Baal Shem Tov uses an uncommon word [...]

When A Person Considers The Self

The prophet Ezekiel describes Pharaoh as “the great serpent who couches in the midst of his streams, who says: My river is my own, and I have made myself” (Ezekiel 29:3). For this is the root of all evil. Self-centeredness might seem a benign sin compared to the acts of cruelty and depravity to which [...]

The Good Treasure

Everything that is said about the greatness of man as well as everything that is said about his insignificance is true. If he is worthy, he takes precedence over Creation. If he is unworthy, a flea is more important than he. Thus, we must always use these opposite points of view for the good. When [...]

Sanctity Ends As A Gift

The Hasid said: Even when a person is engaged in the physical activities made necessary by his bodily existence, his soul should not depart from its supernal communion. But since it is impossible for a person to achieve this state of his own accord – the task being too difficult for him as he is, [...]

The Essence Of Faith

“Happy is the man who makes G-d his trust. . . .” (Psalms 40:5).  The Baal Shem Tov taught, there is the one who trusts, the one who promises, and the thing that is trusted in; that is, the agent upon which a person relies to receive the promise. Such a person has not reached [...]

The Obvious Question Is Why

But even if we feel the oneness of the universe, we are still faced with the great lack of harmony amongst human beings. How do we bring unity into a realm which appears so disparate? The obvious question is why. Why is there so much diversity amongst people? Why do the extremes of left and [...]

Free Will

I heard that individual once asked Rabbi Nachman to define Free Will. He replied, “The definition is simple. Free will is the ability to do something if you want to, and the ability to refrain from something if you so desire”. Rabbi Nathan writes: I recorded this, for it contained a very necessary lesson. Some [...]

The Higher A Faculty, The Farther It Can Reach

Guard your thoughts carefully, for thought can literally create life. The higher a faculty, the farther it can reach. You can kick something with your foot, but you can throw it even higher with your hand, your voice can reach still farther, calling to a person far away. Hearing reaches even farther, grasping sounds such [...]

Walking In The Way Of G-d

Man is a revelation of G-d and in order to spiritually develop, to become more existentially significant, Man must connect with G-d. Man ought to view himself as a divine revelation, not an independent entity cowering in the face of divinity. Spiritual metamorphosis occurs not only via meditative recognition of fundamental truths, but is also [...]