Yesod Blocks: Foundational Torah: Recent Episodes
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Sexual desire, confusion and issues are all over our culture, media and personal lives. The goal of this show is to clarify these issues, clean up the confusion and help us live this area in alignment with truth and divine integrity.
The Daily Halakha and Kabbalah podcast returns with this new episode about the centrality of wanting/yearning/desire in the process of Tefilla/Alignment. To listen to these episodes on a daily basis, visit www.yesodblocks.com, subscribe, and download our brand new App from the Apple or Google App stores.
Mundane, technical and practical details of life are the clothing for the profound underpinnings of reality. Learning to see those deeper layers is the difference between a life of depth and a life of emptiness.
Shulhan Arukh Orah Hayim 253:3.
We are immortal creatures, tethered to a finite body. Discovering the depths of this truth is the key to higher states of consciousness and development...
Shulhan Arukh Orah Hayim 53:20.
Hatred is a projection of our own emotional entanglements, a result of a perception in which we see someone else's reality as intermingled with our own.
Shulhan Arukh Orah Hayim 53:19.
The problem with the way "chosenness" is discussed is that nothing can be "chosen" in a vacuum. "Chosen" for what? Anyone chosen for anything is always chosen for a particular role, for a particular purpose. When this remains unspecified, it gives rise to the shallow thinking that underlies all of today's cultural obsessions with race, gender, and any other external attributes we all share.
Shulhan Arukh Orah Hayim 53:18.
The development of dogmatic thinking is ubiquitous in humanity, often dubbed an example of "human nature." Ironically, the phrase "human nature" is an example of dogmatic thinking, detached from the underlying mapping of our ways of being.
Shulhan Arukh Orah Hayim 53:18.
On Shabbat, we walk the knife's edge between the restrictions of Halakha designed to pull us out of our fixation on our creativity and the spiritual expansion derived from pleasurable experiences.
Shulhan Arukh Orah Hayim 253:2.
Balancing the different aspects of any given situation involves seeing its complexity, breaking that complexity into its granular components and then assessing the parts and whole.
Shulhan Arukh Orah Hayim 53:17
Leadership and authority are often conflated with hierarchy and bureaucratic power. True leadership, true power, is the ability to discover our own talents and then use them to help elevate everyone around us.
Shulhan Arukh Orah Hayim 53:15, 16.
Oral Torah is the world of mind and thought, Written Torah is the anchor, the body of that world.
Shulhan Arukh Orah Hayim 53:14.
Our bodies are the most visible, and thus the most perceptually loud, aspects of our total being. This intensity can often interfere with other areas of our development and consciousness, creating significant distortions.
Shulhan Arukh Orah Hayim 53:13.
We often discuss how "everyone is special," but also how "everyone is different." It's crucial to define the different aspects of our being so we don't become confused about when to see each other as endlessly, irreplaceably unique and when to see each other in terms of quantifiable abilities and skills that set us apart.
Shulhan Arukh Orah Hayim 53:12
Our bodies convey to us that we are separate from each other, and from the world. They draw a line around us, circumscribing the "me" from "everything else." The perception created by this physiological fact is one of isolation, often embedding itself in a need to self-actualize in order to prove to "them" that we can "do it alone." The key to properly contextualizing this perception (which is flawed when observed in isolation) is the concept of "hoda'ah."
Shulhan Arukh Orah Hayim 53:11.
We possess the ability to separate our selves, our neshama consciousness, from the entirety of our vessel, our body and its attributes. This allows us to rescript, update and alter the world of Da'at, the world of our perceptions. This is the key to becoming who we dream of being...
Shulhan Arukh Orah Hayim 53:6.
In our hearts, we know that truth should trump ego. The taint of the Etz HaDa'at (the Tree of Knowledge) rears up in complex moments, making us struggle to discern truth in the messy landscape of life. Preparing ourselves for such complex situations ahead of time can allow us to navigate them powerfully, rescripting ourselves to become sources of power and clarity in the world, instead of products and victims.
Shulhan Arukh Orah Hayim 53:5.
Partial perspectives, distorted opinions - these are more accurate descriptions for the concept of "politics." A group tefillah session, today called "minyan," has a structure to it, and when we understand the role of distortions in that structure, both positive and negative, this tool can become far more activated.
Shulhan Arukh Orah Hayim 53:4.
In a vacuum, without context, regular practical lifestyle behaviors can appear odd, or even neurotic. When the missing context is provided, what seemed strange suddenly becomes relatable and intelligible. Halakha is the ultimate example of that, especially today, when so much context (read: Hashem) is missing from the world.
Incoherence in our minds leads to mental corrosion, distortions and confusion, all a function of the toxin of the Etz HaDa'at. The structure of Psukei DeZimra is meant to heal this on the level of Yetzira, the world of emotional conviction. This allows us to move away from perfectionism to real evolution.
Shulhan Arukh Orah Hayim 53:2.
The ending berakha of Yishtabah is the activating sign-off after the process developed in Psukei DeZimra. Access its underlying purpose and meaning, and use it every day to change your perceptions, your inner software, your very being.
Shulhan Arukh Orah Hayim 53:1.
The consciousness-level dynamic of Shabbat is profound and delicate. Developing the awareness of this dynamic is key to truly seeing melakha for what it is, and how to use it intentionally, and in healthy ways.
Episode #7 is out! Join me and Ariella as we explore the process of inner cleansing we are meant to achieve before Pesach. This process is unique and specific, yet often confused with general cleaning of our homes. The energy of Pesach, the fire that comes from a new love, is meant to be an overriding passion that dissolves boundaries, ignores limits and calculations and explodes outwards. This is the energy of "freedom," the release from narrow confines, from constantly seeking to control, from the passivity engendered by the seeming monotony and inevitability of life's difficulties...
Check out Ariella at www.yogawithariella.com.
Check me out at www.yesodblocks.com.
Pesukei DeZimra is Level 2 of the structure of Hashem's relationship to reality. Plugging into how Hashem sees things is the key to accessing our own inner machinery clearly. Learning how to navigate the structure of the tefillah tools at our disposal helps us not only unlock Hashem within ourselves, but also clarify how to think about failure, error and priorities.
Shulhan Arukh Orah Hayim 52:1.
The future of our world is vastly different from the present, and the past. We are so used to death as a "feature" of life. But it doesn't have to be that way. In this powerful episode, we explore the way the future will look, in light of one simple halakha about music...
Shulhan Arukh Orah Hayim 51:9.
Our thoughts are meant to be triggered by the word flow of Pesukei DeZimra. Learning to channel our thoughts, instead of trying to force them under our control, is the key to achieving these outcomes.
Shulhan Arukh Orah Hayim 51:8.
On Shabbat, we walk the edge, operating in the space between stopping and being. Learning to access our inner states of being, to access Hashem, in the space created by emerging from our Melakha funnels, is the key to unfurling the Neshama into higher form.
We often think of today's society as "modern, sophisticated." The people in the past are "archaic, primitive." What if Avoda Zara was not something archaic at all, but far more advanced than we can even imagine? What if our own distortions, our own Etz HaDa'at-tainted minds, have reduced us to an incredibly superficial way of relating to reality? What if Hashem is right in front of us, and we've just forgotten how to see?
Developing awareness of the intangible realities behind being is the purpose of the Torah's instructions. The distortions of the Etz HaDa'at led to a muting of those intangibles in our perceptual landscape. When repairing these distortions, using tools like Pesukei Dezimra, there are often competing elements present, and the halakha system relates to these competing elements with halakhot like the one in this episode.
Shulhan Arukh Orah Hayim 51:5.
Berakhot, used properly, create consciousness context for our behaviors, feelings and thoughts. This process is meant to be cumulative, and interrupting it can undermine the continuous evolution we are seeking. Understanding the mechanics of interruptions, in the context of Pesukei DeZimra, allows us to harness the power of berakhot more effectively.
The words we say are meant to create a cascade of thoughts in the realm of our Bina, our thought-space. The word "amen," part of the language of "emuna," is a tool that augments this process. In this episode, we explore the rare instances when we say "amen" to our own brakha.
Shulhan Arukh Orah Hayim 51:3.
Cycles are a central dynamic in the world after the introduction of the taint of the Etz HaDa'at. Many of us long for answers or ideas that allow us to stop struggling and thinking, so we can just "know." Those kinds of ideas exist, but only on the deepest levels of idea structure. Beyond those levels, life is an oscillating, dynamic system of cycles, and we must constantly assess and reassess our thoughts and ideas, to ensure that we have not become trapped in the narrow spaces created by the Etz HaDa'at...
Tefilla is an internal process of alignment. We have different tools we can use to activate the process of aligning ourselves with Hashem. The Siddur is the most known tool, but the physical actions we engage in during Tefilla are also part of the toolkit at our disposal. Understanding their impact and structure allow us to take our Tefilla from something habituated to something intentional, something alive.
For our more advanced Torah and Kabbalah content, subscribe at www.yesodblocks.com. For more about Ariella's work visit www.yogawithariella.com.
Answering "Amen" to things is so well-known that it has actually become part of mainstream cultural language. As is often the case, the more well-known something is, the less it is carefully understood. In this episode, we explore the layers underneath this word, and its usage in the process of Tefilla.
Shulhan Arukh, Orah Hayim 51:2.
For more, subscribe at www.yesodblocks.com.
In this episode, we begin moving into the next layer of existence explored in the system of Tefilla. Olam HaYetzira is the layer of "form" in which raw materials reflect intention and conviction.
Purim is the way of the future. It is a celebration of being deeply rooted in the underlying truth of existence, while simultaneously living in the normal, day-to-day routine of life. Developing a perception of reality that unifies these opposite aspects into oneness is the doorway to Olam HaBa, the phase of immortality. In this episode, Ariella and I discuss techniques that can help us expand and embed this perception within ourselves.
For more content like this, check us out at www.yesodblocks.com and www.yogawithariella.com.
The world of Bina is the world of the mind, the world of thought. The mind is our most powerful tool in our interaction in this patterned and logically coherent existence. Because of Da'at Tov VaRa, we often end up using it passively, never learning how to harness its power to achieve our purpose in life- finding truth.
Sometimes, Shabbos is perceived as a time to avoid melakha, the application of our consciousness to the flow of space and time in order to bring higher states of permanent order. While this is true, a failure to understand the balance of this can lead us to confuse the setting of Shabbos, created by melakha reduction, with the purpose of Shabbos, which is the unfurling of the neshama...
Written Torah and Oral Torah are viewed as distinct entities. Often, they are taught accordingly, creating a deep divide and fragmentation in the approach to Torah frameworks. The Torah is one, however, and the Torah perspective of itself is far more profound...
Tefilla is the process of alignment in which we extricate our selves, our souls, our neshamot, from the flow of space and time, in order to reorient ourselves toward truth, and away from distortions. There are special times during the weeks and years of our lives that are designated for particular orientations, designed to rectify the distortions of the Etz HaDa'at...
Embodied Torah Part 3 is out! In this episode, Ariella and I discuss the concept of alignment, exploring how it pervades Torah and our living. The word "tefilla" actually means "alignment," but this is even deeper than it sounds. The stack of elements that the Torah calls the "tzelem elokim" (image of God), comprising the various tools (including our bodies) we use to manifest ourselves into the physical world, can move in and out of alignment, causing us mental, emotional and physical pain and suffering. Detecting these misalignments and flooding them with the truth-light of Torah is the key to healing them. Join us for this episode and check us out at Yesod Blocks and Yoga With Ariella.
Moving our bodies during tefilla is a popular custom, and there's a range of depth beneath it, true depth as well as distorted depth. Understanding these distortions carefully can help us to use daily Hashem-related activities more mindfully and proactively, reducing Da'at Tov VaRa and increasing genuine Hashem awareness.
We say pesukim about korbanot ("sacrifices?" "closifiers?") every day as part of the process of tefilla. The underlying story here is huge, a meta-arc that traverses our entire history. When we finally see that, and understand how to use it to get to the end of that arc, everything changes...
In this Erev Shabbos episode, we explore the balance of pulling back from melakha (the application of consciousness to the physical world in order to create higher order and organization in a permanent way) while still having some involvement with it on Shabbos. Often, because of the Etz HaDa'at ( the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil), we think in polarities, imagining that melakha is bad on Shabbos, and must be avoided at all cost. The truth is far more complex...
Female and Male, male and female, what are these models? How do they interrelate with the world of obligation and Torah? The answer is both more simple and more profound than today's cultural tendencies suggest...
Thoughts are a huge part of our inner space. They are the fabric of our experience of ourselves within space and time. When we anchor ourselves in them too deeply, they begin to dominate our apprehension of being, taking us away from reality, which is Hashem.
Our field of perceptions often become rigid, misleading us as to the true nature of our situation. Torah learning trains us to "clothe" ourselves in alternate frames of reference, developing flexibility in our ways of seeing things. Halakha is the ultimate flexible practical system of expressing this kind of internally dynamic way of being.
Welcome to Episode 2 of Embodied Torah! In this episode, we explore the concept of the breath, how breathing impacts our total neshama/body dynamic, and the underlying Torah depths of breathing. Ariella walks us through some breathing tools to help us harness this powerful aspect of our being. Breathing is a core way of making room for Hashem within us, and this episode will reveal why and how that’s true. Also, check us out at yesodblocks.com and yogawithariella.com for more profound content and tools for embodied Torah living. Thanks for listening and for your support:).
Torah is the body of Hashem's thoughts, the way He thinks about things in the world. We can absorb those thoughts, and the underlying perceptions (de'ot) they embody, allowing us to become more real, true and clear.
This Erev Shabbos episode analyzes more forms of melakha, as well as the underlying depth of rabbinical decrees.
Breaks in between a bracha and the corresponding action have a particular impact on the structural purpose of a bracha. We often think of the concept of "hefsek" as technical, but its depth is truly profound.
Halakha can be technical, but it's strikingly simple to find the depth and layering underneath technical halakhot. The brakhot of Torah are examples of this truth, as they have technical aspects, while underneath, the layers and themes are profound.
A brand new series from Yesod Blocks, Embodied Torah is a collaboration between Zev Bannett (the founder of Yesod Blocks) and Ariella Anouchi, a licensed and practicing Yoga therapist and Jewish educator. Join us as we explore how to embody and fully live out the profound Torah concepts discussed at Yesod Blocks. New episodes will be released weekly and will be available at yesodblocks.com. To learn more about Ariella, check her out at yogawithariella.com. Join us today and start fully living and loving this profound Torah life.
Little details of Halakha contain mountains of underlying truths and concepts. Accessing these truths and then embodying them is the goal of this whole process.
How much distance from Melakha do we need in order to pull ourselves into the higher, fuller state of consciousness called "neshama yeteira?"
People cannot be "chosen" in a vacuum. They can only be chosen for a particular purpose. If we were chosen, and given the Torah, what were we chosen for?
Reality is real, but it's not always what we want. Torah and reality are one. Torah and reality can become what you want, when you learn to see the distortions in your own perceptual landscape.
There are no needs outside of the context of particular wants. A mitzvah is a choice, one through which you can "groupify" yourself with the Metzaveh, the Director of being.
Our thoughts are gateways, bridges between the worlds of our perceptions (de'ot) and of our words. Our words serve as a externalizing feedback mechanism so we can observe our own thoughts in real time, assessing their accuracy. The brakhot we say to connect Torah to Hashem in our awareness can link thoughts or words to Hashem, in a profound paradigm-shifting process.
Melakha has three parts. It requires the application of our consciousness (neshama) to the material world. It requires that the application of consciousness leads to higher order organization in the material world. Lastly, it requires that the higher order state is permanent. We begin to explore the world of Melakha more deeply in this Erev Shabbos episode.
Simple halakhot on the surface... There is a mountain of underlying thought hidden beneath the waves.
More details on understanding what Gemara, Mishna and Torah learning are, and how they work... Sometimes we categorize Torah "areas" in order to make Torah more accessible and consumable, but if we forget to reconnect those categorized parts, we truncate the Torah and lose its purpose and meaning.
Torah is the antidote to the poison of the Etz HaDa'at. But what if the antidote itself gets infected? What if learning Torah stops working, as a result of our distorted perceptions. There are ways to repair this damage, but it requires first becoming alerted to the problem.
The brachot we say prior to learning Torah are unique. They are designed to solve a problem that Jews all over the world are grappling with right now. "What is Torah, and how do I relate to the idea of learning it?" I receive this question more often than almost any other question. The answer is staring us in the face...
Days have phases and energies. As the sun turns toward its descent, the energy of the day begins to change. On Friday, that change drives consciousness expansion (neshama yeteira) and reduction of melakha.
Halacha is the outer shell, the practical expression of the inner world of who you truly are. It is 5% of Torah, and the other 95% is the map of your internal "becoming."
There is nothing new under the sun. The Torah maps out the risks and dynamics that exist between the sexes. The toxic capacity of the Etz HaDa'at makes it hard for us to see each other clearly. Learning to appreciate the differences and wanting to unite with each other is the purpose of the morning brakhot we say about male and female.
The process of extricating ourselves from the funnels and runnels of creative actualization is gradual. We start on Friday, on Erev Shabbos, to direct our consciousness and attention vertically, slowly drawing ourselves out of the horizontal axis of creativity and action. This is what allows the mark of Shabbos, the kavod of Shabbos to impact us.
We often talk about how there are things we "have to do." But the Torah map is quite clear: There is nothing you "have to do" in a vacuum. Every person has the choice capacity to follow their own path. So why does Halakha use a language that sounds like there are things we must do?
Consciousness triggers and tools, designed to move us forward on our journey, returning us incrementally to the state of oneness that we all yearn for constantly...
This episode is a workshop as to how Torah practices are constructed out of underlying Torah perceptual frameworks. These perceptual frameworks give rise to the different practices instituted by the Sages of the Talmud. When you understand the underlying framework, each practice can be understand carefully in its own proper context.
In Torah, thanking someone means "admitting" - developing a deeper awareness that we are each a fragment, a powerful, individual part of a larger network of self. We each have the power to create, but we also rely on each other, and the Self of all Selves, to actualize the power within us.
The concept of Tzimtzum is the key to understanding hunger and eating on Shabbos. Our hunger is much deeper than we know.
Most of our self-image distortions revolve around our bodies, and our inability to see them clearly. The bracha of Asher Yatzar is a key tool in the battle for clarity and truth in the distortion-filled world of our perceptions.
Our bodies are an integral part of the totality of our being. Perceiving this in a careful, truthful, balanced way has been difficult throughout history. The Torah is the key to achieving this balance.
Did you ever wish you had more intent, more "kavanah" when reciting berakhot, or engaging in tefillah? What if the answer was simply a more accurate understanding of the inner mechanics of intent that we all possess?
Shabbos bleeds into Friday, bringing its proactivity orientation into the days of creativity. The halakha framework of Erev Shabbos reflects this, and in this episode, we explore the underpinnings of that framework.
The words you speak almost always generate a corresponding cascade of thoughts and associations in your mind, which you then use to further engage in conversation. Exception: when those words are said out of habit, and with no understanding. Experiencing Hashem, conversing with Hashem, saying Brachot and having them trigger cascades of thoughts just like the rest of your speech- all of this is possible, with knowledge and understanding.
It's hard to see the effect water has on us, because it's so easily accessible nowadays. But water can act as an experiential doorway to the infinite...
Prior to washing Netilat Yadayim, we are not supposed to touch openings of our bodies. The framework of thought underlying this is extensive and deep. The intangible world we experience is a vibrant backdrop to the tangible medium in which we live...
We drill into morning Netilat Yadayim, discovering the profound underlying core that is manifest as this seemingly simple halakha.
Melakha is not "work," or "labor." Learning how to extricate ourselves from our own creative funnels is parallel to pulling ourselves out of a deep orientation of ourselves as our bodies, our professions, our desires, our emotions. We are beyond all those things, though we do operate in the world through each of them. The Etz HaDa'at allows us to forget this, and become consumed with our own creative power...
Bathroom humor seems to be part of an attempt to deal with the existential wackiness of our souls (selves) being linked to a body with so many issues, features and functions. The halakhot of the bathroom directly relate to this existential issue, and help us develop clarity in the relationships we have with the different aspects of the physical vessel we call "the body."
Covering our heads is an ancient and well-known halakha. It's supposed to help us remember "the One who is above us." But how does it do this, and where, exactly, is Hashem? Is He above us? Or everywhere? Or both?
Is it important to put your shoes on in a certain order? Or could it be that there's something else important that is being expressed and reflected in how you put on your shoes? Unexpectedly, that "something else" is the key to solving the political divide destroying so much of today's culture.
Halakhot of dress are the cover for a massive framework of perspectives of sexual energy. Understanding how this energy can pervade our perceptions is integral to healthy sexual relationships as well as every-day activities.
What is the concept of "kavod Shabbos," or "honoring Shabbos?" We always hear that we "rest" because Hashem "rested," but that sounds strange in two different ways. What is the deep core of the halakha of Shabbos?
We're supposed to notice that the Beit HaMikdash is missing, and read a bunch of pesukim every morning. When we dig underneath these halakhot, they are deeply connected. We can develop the lenses that allow us to access the consciousness truths of the Beit HaMikdash, and the sense of intense loss at its destruction. The pesukim of the Torah are integral parts of that process.
Seeing is being. A halakha that tells us we should see Hashem all the time seems almost silly. But what if there was a way to learn the mechanics of perception, the structure of Da'at? The Torah focuses primarily on this area, yet it is rarely taught. When it is accessed, the results can be catalytic.
Waking up seems like a basic process, and the Rama's halakha about rising at least as early as the public Tefillah time looks simple. Let's dig under the hood and see all the wildly deep layers embedded in this simple halakha.
This series bridges the gap between Halakhic practices and the underlying ocean of depth and profundity found in Torah literature. We track the Shulchan Arukh, exploring a different halakha in each episode, and exposing the Tree of Life that lies at the root. Understand the purpose of Halakha practice, and learn Halakha in a groundbreaking new way.
Malachim are the raw material of every layer of existence. When they "sing," it is described in Kabbalah as a "vibration of their wings." The dynamic dance of being is expressed through these vibrations, and the vibrations themselves are the product of human consciousness and choice.
Malachim: Not angels, but living transmitters that are embedded in every inch of reality. Your consciousness activates them to change the very fabric of being.
Humans and angels. Angels (Malachim) have higher consciousness, but it's fixed. We have consciousness that can expand and contract infinitely, reaching the highest heights of existence and divine truth.
Getting this as clear as possible is the key to ending it. Our world is still fragmenting along these lines, and until we see it in the moment, we won't be able to stop ourselves from continuing this destructive way of being.
We tend to think of Hashem as calling all the shots. What if Hashem truly mirrored you, following your calls, and pulled along by your choices?
This is a preview of Episode 1 in my new series, Sex, Torah and Kabbalah. Check out the full episode and the whole series at www.yesodblocks.com.
How does reciting Tehillim operate? Is it the same thing as Tefillah? If Hashem knows about all the pain in the world, how does our saying tefillot and Tehillim change anything?
The Exodus story that is the theme of Pesach (Passover) is part of a much larger story. That story weaves its way through each person's life, as well as through all the macro patterns of the universe. It is the context of every story, every concept, and every life.
Minyan: 10 soul (Self/Consciousness) fragments, with a specific set of blockages (today called "Men") operating in parallel, create a network of higher consciousness.
Why did the Endless One decide to make room for others? It depends on the kind of "why" you mean...
Tefillah in a minyan isn't magic. Just being together in a group of 10 doesn't magically activate some kind of "heavenly result". There are mechanics to tefillah in a group, and we're being given an opportunity to learn that, and genuinely develop it. Let's not squander the opportunity.
Adam Kadmon is the theme of existence, bleeding through every atom, every rock and tree, every animal, man, woman and child. The current coronavirus situation is an expression of that larger theme. Listen in on this class explaining the inner workings of this concept, and how the world's situation is designed.
The Coronavirus shutdown is an example of a phenomenon called "Yissurin", meaning "things which move us in an unexpectedly different direction, forcing us to struggle to adapt". Can this wild situation be related to the process of Mashiach?
Finishing off Chapter 9, we're wrapping up our discussion of the Keruvim and the mirroring connection between us and the Endless One, Hashem, reflected by the Keruvim. Understanding this connection is the foundation for all of Torah living, mental, emotional, and physical.
In this episode, we continue to explore the Kruvim, the guardians of the Aron (and also the guardians of the Garden of Eden). These statues reflect the pattern of mirroring we engage in with the Endless One, Hashem, as we operate within the consciousness network we call "the world".
There were once two golden statues that physically represented the consciousness interface between people and Hashem, the Endless One. They are called the Keruvim, and in Chapter 8, the Nefesh HaChaim analyzes their role in our consciousness expanding journey through time.
There's a popular idea that in the Exodus story, Pharoah, the king of the Egyptians, lost his free will. This idea is a distortion of the truth, as while Pharoah did have a particular problem, this wasn't it. Hard hearts are real- and when we understand how they work, we uncover a profoundly deep layer of our being.
We forget that our words don't accurately capture what's in our heads. When we try to put our inner selves into words, those words often fail to capture the truth within us, distorting how our listeners perceive us. This is the root of mediocrity and stagnancy in relationships and connections.
Your consciousness/Neshama radiates through all of reality, intertwining with the other consciousness fragments of the people around you, and with the Total Self, the Endless One, Hashem.
What, exactly, are Mitzvot? People like to translate the word as "commandments" or "divine commands", but they're actually "bridges", or "groupifiers" (a made up word:). A mitzvah is a tool you use to create a bridge or group connector between you and the root of all being, allowing you to actually become more conscious, as Hashem's larger self fuses with you, and then flows through you into the finite platform we call "existence".
People sometimes say Shabbat is about "not doing work" and "resting". But did you ever notice that the actual issue is "Melacha", and Melacha is the same as the word "malach" (usually translated poorly as "Angel")? The layers here are profoundly deep, as we explore what, exactly, this day is about.
Traveling deeper into the world of distortions and preferences, the legacy of the Tree of Experiential Knowledge of What You Want and What You Are Apathetic Towards.
Yesod Blocks are the blocks of information that make up the world outside our minds. Bridging the distance between our inner space and the outer reality sometimes gets confusing and tricky. Mastering the power of Yesod is the final step in encountering the real world, not just our own perceptions.
Channukah is the Chag (celebration) of truth and clarity. When you see the world in the light of Channukah, you see the world as it truly is, and not as a fantasy.
Our lens of reality is constantly moving, sometimes becoming incredibly distorted, and other times, incredibly clear. This is the legacy of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, or more accurately, the Tree of Experiential Knowledge of What We Want and What We are Apathetic Toward.
Learning Chumash deeply, as opposed to as fragmented "Torah ideas" is the key to discovering how the text is a map of reality, the universe, and your own inner space.
Getting our insides and outsides to match up is so hard. We wish we could say the right things at the right time, but so often, we end up hurting ourselves and the people we love instead. When we're able to match these two aspects of our lives, we become beautiful, called "Tiferet", because the most beautiful thing to us is truth, realness, authenticity, genuineness.
Do you ever feel like your life is fragmented? There are so many feelings and thoughts inside us, and they seem like they're at war with each other! Is the answer to try to tame that chaos, and tone it down? What if instead we channeled all that power into an integrated purpose, living intensely and fully, but dedicated and focused toward a central life direction? Learn to live on purpose.
Learn how the Endless One thinks, and discover the key to consistently, constantly creating closeness to the Source of all being, life and thought. The ideas in this video, when understood clearly, have the power to totally transform your life, your relationships, and your past, present and future. How you think determines how you experience reality- think like the Endless One!
Want to know what angels are? They're REAL- but so different than what we're usually told. As we uncover the layers of this "simulation" system we live in, it gets more and more mind-blowing.
Reality is deep- Layers deep. The layer you see is just the outside, but if you dig a little, you break through to deeper layers underneath. Dig deep enough... and that's "where" the living ocean of consciousness we call Hashem is hidden.
You are literally a "Beit HaMikdash". Check out this episode to understand what that building really was, and what you are.
Listen in as we start unpacking the web system of consciousness/Neshama that Hashem has woven into reality. You'll begin to discover how powerful you are, and get a little taste of who and what you are too. It's only going to get deeper and deeper, so stay tuned:).
Getting close to other people seems so natural, but in fact, it's more profound than we've ever imagined. When you understand how incredibly profound it is, you can make it possible to accept the extreme outcome- actually getting close to Hashem.
What if you could meet Hashem for real? What if he was as easy to get close to as the people you love? But is it so easy to be close to people? How do we do that, really? When you understand how you connect to people, you can begin to uncover the mind blowing truth about you and Hashem.
Deep within you lie many layers of passions, wants and interests, often at war with each other. But what if you could integrate them holistically into wholeness, and use them to make your life incredible?
We begin to delve into the concept of Tzelem Elokim (usually translated as "image of God") and get an overview of the forces underlying the universe.
What if you didn't have to believe, but instead you simply knew truth? What if that knowledge was already within you, but you didn't know where to look to find it? Emunah is the doorway into the wild idea that your inner truth may reflect an objective truth.
Are you looking for love? Do you want to have more love? Do you want to build love with the people in your life? Make sure you know what love is, otherwise how will you know when you've found it?
What if you could live forever, and each day of life was better than the last? Welcome to Olam Haba, the state of being that never stops getting more awesome.
What if there was so much more to understand about Hashem? Hashem is not infinite. The Endless One is beyond infinity, because He cannot be limited to outside of the finite universe.
When you know what you're saying, and you know what you're doing, the process of Tefilla can finally begin.
Solving our Tefilla problems requires us to be honest about how we think about Hashem. It also means examining our methods when we're trying to enter a state of Tefilla. Tefilla isn't davening- it's using the siddur as a tool to align our inner being with Hashem.
Tefilla is hard for so many people. But it doesn't have to be. The level of our thinking about Tefilla is the cause of our problems with Tefilla. Think on another level, and watch the problem unravel.
What if you were able to sift through all your confusion, and get clarity on what you want, what you don't want, and what you should want?
What if evolution and Torah were never a conflict, and were actually one and the same? Discover how the whole Torah is built on the principle of evolution, a principle that is far more broad than you ever imagined.
What if time was both more and less than you believed? We talk about time as if we understand it, but time is just a word we use to describe the possibility and room for change to happen. Lost in the ocean of time, we have lost the ability to see what we are living through.
We're sometime taught that God "magically" speaks existence into being. But isn't "speaking" part of existence? What if there was a way to understand this so much more deeply? Check out Part 1 of this mini-series and free your mind.
Get started learning texts and concepts that will blow your mind with truths from Torah and Kabbalah. Nefesh HaChaim is a great gateway book to start accessing the hidden layers of Torah that have been there all along.