Shows
Come, Enter the MikvahMore Than Anything Else He Is A Father - Yedidah at Prayer Center August 10, 2024Yedidah's Testimony! Spoken at the Prayer Center August 10, 2024 My testimony of how I came to know Yahuwah as Abba/Daddy - a real Father - the real Father of eternity who loves us so much that He works with us to bring us into the Kingdom of heaven now and forever with rewards. This podcast speaks of knowing Him personally so that you can love Him with all your being.
2024-08-101h 40
Pep Talk with Yedidah: Faith Up!No brakes!Ever feel like life is going so fast? I do. I remember the day I brought a pair of roller blades and decided to skate in Central Park. Smh. Why did I do that? Lol I learned a valuable lesson that day. Don't try roller blading in Central Park if you don't know how. Yet, God saw me. I literally think He may have chuckled and thought, "There goes my daughter Yedidah again." Lol God sees you friend even when it seems like life is spinning out of control. Tune in to this very funny, yet hope-filled podcast.
2022-12-2417 minPep Talk with Yedidah: Faith Up!Not forsakenSometimes you wonder about this journey called life. I say when life gets tough, pray and faith up. Realize just because things may be difficult it doesn’t mean you are forsaken. Let’s talk about this.
2021-11-2108 minPep Talk with Yedidah: Faith Up!Give yourself some graceWe all need a little grace. When things don't go as planned it's not the end. Sometimes it's actually the beginning of new and better. It's time to faith up. Take a listen.
2021-09-0730 minPep Talk with Yedidah: Faith Up!I will be with youCan you believe how I started singing to you in this episode. I love this song. It’s by Richard Smallwood. God doesn’t leave you in the difficulty. Trust Him and let your faith take you to new heights in God. Pardon the popping. Tried using my earphones.
2021-08-2916 minPep Talk with Yedidah: Faith Up!Keep GoingI believe we have all had a time when we wanted to give up. But you have things to do. Don’t let the naysayers stop you. Don’t throw in the towel, because of a temporary setback. Keep going. Let’s talk about it.
2021-08-2727 minPep Talk with Yedidah: Faith Up!I was crushed. Here's how I made it through that difficult seasonLet me encourage you. In this episode I share about two very difficult moments I faced. One was the death of my mother and the other when my heart was broken from a difficult relationship. God helped me to forgive, heal and overcome the depression, anxiety and even grief. The process can be major, but somehow God’s love, provision and grace were found in the most difficult challenges. He didn’t abandon me, just like He doesn’t abandon you. I will refer to chapter 4 of my book “Don’t Give Up” where a caterpillar experiences a magnificent transformation after it alm...
2021-08-1526 minPep Talk with Yedidah: Faith Up!Faith Will Get You Through It!The process is not always easy. Choosing to have faith over fear is a huge part of the plan. How are you faithing up today? Whatever you face, faith will get you through it! Let’s talk about it. Faith up don’t give up!
2021-08-1335 min
Called to be Free Academy PodcastCelebrate Your Resilience, Don't Give Up! Interview with Yedidah Faith Spann: Season 2, Episode 29The Called to Be Free Academy welcomes a special guest, Ms. Faith Y. Spann. CEO and Founder of Faith Works Empowered, Author of the book "Don't Give Up: Acknowledging the Struggle Celebrating the Resilience" and host of the podcasts, "Faith Up" and "Pep Talk with Yedidah."Join host April and special guest Yedidah (Faith) as she talks about finding freedom as a Christian woman from isolation, depression, and pain. For more information on Faith, or to buy a copy of her book "Don't Give Up: Acknowledging the Struggles, Celebrating the Resilience," click here. To go...
2021-06-231h 11
Pep Talk With YedidahEpisode 13 - The caterpillar never knew it would flyYou must have expectancy in order to move forward. You have to keep forging ahead when the odds are stacked against you. You have to step out of the comfort zone and be all you are created to be. There are no limits.
2021-05-3034 minPep Talk with Yedidah: Faith Up!You may be afraid to get out there, but your gifts weren’t made to be hiddenEver feel like a caterpillar in a chrysalis? The thing is there comes a time when the caterpillar has to emerge. It can’t stay in the chrysalis any longer. Why? Because after the process there is transformation. As a matter of fact, it’s no longer a caterpillar after all it has gone through, it’s a butterfly. This is why we don’t quit in the middle. There is more to your story than the pain you have experienced. There is an “After.” Yes, I’ve said this before, but here’s a reminder for you to keep pressing. You wi...
2021-05-2535 min
Insights into Rabbi Ashlag's Kabbalah podcastThe Giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai is EternalHow did the Children of Israel reach the incredible spiritual state of “As one Man with one heart,” that enabled them to receive the Torah on Mount Sinai. If we were able to reach that same state, would we be able to stand at our own Mount Sinai and hear the voice of God speaking directly to us? Rabbi Ashlag assures us that the answer to this question is “Yes!”
2021-05-1617 minNehora School AudioThe Giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai is Eternal
On the night of Shavuot 1948, Rabbi Yehuda Leib Ashlag the great Kabbalist gave this teaching:
When we think about the giving of the Torah which took place at Mount Sinai, we’re not talking about a historical event, which took place only at one time and is not taking place now. But according to the principle that once a spiritual event has happened in spirituality, it is eternal, and all spiritual events that seem to replace it, are in fact only additions to it. So the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai is...
2021-05-1617 min
Pep Talk With YedidahEpisode 12 - Don’t let discouragement stop youWe all experience discouragement. It can be tough to face, but don’t give up.
2021-05-1344 min
Pep Talk With YedidahGet up from thereIt’s time to get up and show out. Everything you have gone through can be used to catapult you into a brand new season. Take a listen
2021-05-0406 min2021-04-1841 minPep Talk with Yedidah: Faith Up!How to faith your day with faith and determinationYou will never have another opportunity at this day. How will you show up? What will you do to impact everyone and everything around you? When you Faith Up you are making a choice to trust God, even when life is “interesting.” You have to encourage yourself and seize the day. You don't give up. You don't quit. You rise up, even after you've crumbled to the ground. Faith is not feelings. Faith is knowing God can bring you through everything. It's looking for answers even when there are none in sight. It's believing for better and showing up for you...
2021-04-141h 01Nehora School AudioInner Exile, Inner Redemption
Seder night is the night in which the greatest light of God, the light of redemption, comes into the world. It is the night in which God delivered the children of Israel from Egypt. And this energy, this great light comes into the world again every year. How will we receive it? How will we relate to it? In this podcast we are going to look at this question in the light of the teachings given by the great Kabbalist of the 18th Century, Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzato, known as the Ramchal.
In his work, D...
2021-03-3115 minInsights into Rabbi Ashlag's Kabbalah podcastInner Exile, Inner RedemptionSeder night is the night in which the greatest light of God, the light of redemption, comes into the world. It is the night in which God delivered the children of Israel from Egypt. And this energy, this great light comes into the world again every year. How will we receive it? How will we relate to it? As we start the Haggadah we say , This year we are slaves, next year we will be free. In this podcast we ask the question how and in what way are we in slavery now and what do we need to do...
2021-03-3115 minPep Talk with Yedidah: Faith Up!Use your voiceDid you know the human voice at right frequency has the potential to shatter glass? What about your voice? What things can you break when you speak up? How many people are waiting to hear how you made it. Use your voice. Make some noise.
2021-03-3121 minPep Talk with Yedidah: Faith Up!Choosing to be courageousWe all have to make choices every day. Despite what you may face choose to be courageous.
2021-03-3019 minPep Talk with Yedidah: Faith Up!Keep goingEver felt like giving up? Please don't. You must always remember you are not alone. Here's how to faith up when life is challenging.
2021-03-2431 minPep Talk with Yedidah: Faith Up!When Everyone Clears Out, God Doesn’tEver been in the “Clear?” If you have, it’s no fun. You may even ask, “Why does everyone clear out when I need them most?” Let’s talk about this.
2021-03-2018 minNehora School AudioWhen we discover the Pharaoh within us, we discover God within us
Most of us try to push away the dark side of ourselves by denying that it even exists, or we cover it up with fear, shame, and guilt. Feelings that are too painful for us to penetrate. We feel that we are somehow split in two. We often feel that the face we show to the outer world has very little to do with our inner world. When receiving praise or appreciation, we think to ourselves, “if only people really knew what went on in me.” And so we cover it up until sooner or later our dark...
2021-02-1118 minInsights into Rabbi Ashlag's Kabbalah podcastWhen we discover the Pharaoh within us, we discover God within usThe Scripture says : God said to Moses, “ Come into Pharaoh.” Rabbi Ashlag teaches us that discovering the core of our inner egoism, which is inside each one of us, ultimately helps us transform it. Furthermore, the knowledge that it was God who created the darkness within us, and there is no one else to blame, is actually the knowledge that sets us free. By approaching the darkness within us we can ask God to accompany us and help us redeem it and ourselves. From a letter of Rabbi Yehuda Leib Ashlag
2021-02-1118 minPep Talk with Yedidah: Faith Up!Yes! I'm on Anchor! Welcome to Faith Up!How exciting my first podcast on Anchor! I did it!
I want to talk to you about the importance of "faithing up." Truthfully, I don't know if I could have come this far without faith. Not in me, but in God! There's just no way.
Oh yes, I do a live podcast simply because I want you to know there are times things just won't be perfect, but that shouldn't stop you. So, if I drop a pen or you hear a car horn, we'll just keep going. Keep moving forward no matter what. It's ti...
2021-02-0304 minPep Talk with Yedidah: Faith Up!IntroductionEver wondered what faith up is all about? Well, look no further. Here you go.
2021-02-0200 minNehora School AudioThe Quest for Brotherhood
The story of Joseph and his brothers is a story filled with passion, anger and reconciliation. Most of all, it is a story that describes the search for and the development of the quality of brotherhood.
Interestingly, although other brothers have been described in the Torah, the quality of brotherhood has not, until now, been one sought for. Ever since Cain and Abel, the most that any pair of brothers has looked for is for the different brothers, Isaac and Ishmael, or Jacob and Esau, to part and go their independent ways in peace.
2021-01-0719 minInsights into Rabbi Ashlag's Kabbalah podcastThe Quest for BrotherhoodOn the surface, the story of Joseph and his brothers appears to be a family drama. But on examination it’s a process of development of a new quality in humanity’s consciousness—Brotherhood. This quality of mutual acceptance and the willingness to give to each other, even suffer for each other, is the basis of "All Israel are guarantors for each other" and is the prerequisite for the complete fulfillment of the Torah.
2021-01-0719 min
Pep Talk With YedidahEpisode 28 - Imperfectly PerfectedHave you ever felt Imperfectly Perfected? Let's talk. Https://www.faithworksempowered.com
2021-01-0542 min
Pep Talk With YedidahEpisode 27 - Sometimes You Have To Tell Yourself The OppositeWe are responsible for the words we speak. Even when times get tough. Your words and my words have the ability to keep us stuck and in a funk or they can be the catalyst to help us forge ahead. What have you said today? Was it powerful, thought provoking, purposeful or painful. Was it full of grumbling or grace for yourself and others. When things are going bonkers, don't tell yourself things will never get better, "Say the opposite." Let's talk about this.
2020-12-2821 min2020-12-2524 min
Pep Talk With YedidahEpisode 25 - Don't Worry You're Not The Only OneOn this episode we will crush the limiting belief and mindset that tells us we are the only ones going through difficulty. That's the small inner voice that makes you feel like you have messed up so badly or that God doesn't love you when difficulty comes. Don't fall for it. God is wildly in love with His children. He even made provision for us when we make mistakes. He allows us to not only pick up the pieces, but to be restored after the difficulty. Let's talk about this.
2020-12-1513 minNehora School AudioWhat is Our Essence?
Why is it important for ourselves to know what we are made of? What we really are? Can such knowledge help us live our lives in an authentic way, and not just live our lives on a superficial level?
The truth is, if we don’t know which aspects of ourselves are positive, supportive to our path, and helping us to fulfill our potential, or conversely, which are holding us back and are self-destructive, we cannot know what parts of ourselves to place our focus on. Even more important, we cannot recognize our true worth and...
2020-12-0921 minInsights into Rabbi Ashlag's Kabbalah podcastWhat is Our Essence?Our essence is not something we can sense directly or feel, but then neither can we sense an electron directly. It doesn't make it less real. Our essence has actions that affect our lives and our choices. Our essence is eternal
2020-12-0921 min
Pep Talk With YedidahEpisode 10 - Frustrated? Tired? Parent? Don't Give UpListen, if we tell the truth there are days when the responsibilities of life seem overwhelming. Your tired and sometimes feel unappreciated. Yet, you know you can't just sit down and hope everything instantaneously gets done on its own. You've got work to do. You take care of others, but who takes care of you? Don't let it get you down. Let's talk about this. #dontgiveup #singleparent #singlemom #solomom #parent #caregiver #motivation #dontgiveup #coachfaith#support
2020-12-0815 minPep Talk With YedidahEpisode 20 - "Take The Next Step"Things have changed, that's for sure. How do you know when it's time to pivot? It starts with prayer and self-reflection. Are you feeling crummy? Have things been the same way for a loooooooong time? Are you fault-finding? It may be time for a change.
2020-11-1700 minPep Talk With YedidahEpisode 24 - If The World Breaks Your HeartYes it happens, and when it does it can be devastating. What is "It?" A broken heart. You can heal single mom, single dad. You can heal from being grief-stricken. You can heal from disappointment. Face it! Faith it! Forward!
2020-11-1500 minPep Talk With YedidahEpisode 23 - Give Yourself Permission To Start OverEver missed it? You thought you had it right, but just missed it. You thought you had the answer, but missed it. You thought that was the right relationship, right job, right location, right ministry, but missed it. Don't beat yourself up another day. Move on and start over. Let's talk about this.
2020-11-1439 min
Pep Talk With YedidahEpisode 22 - Don't Give UpYou know what I found out? Limitation is a stronghold of the mind. Be optimistic and push through those obstacles. When one door closes look for another. Let's talk about this.
2020-11-0600 minInsights into Rabbi Ashlag's Kabbalah podcastIncluding the Physical: The Unique Quality of Judaism as a Spiritual PathMany people ask is Judaism a spiritual path. This is because Judaism does not resemble other religions in the way it deals with spirituality. In other religions, there is a separation between the physical world and the spiritual world. But Judaism sees the world as a whole. It sees the physical dimension of the world as being, in itself, spiritual. This wholeness is seen when we look on all aspects of the Torah as integral parts of a whole.
2020-11-0400 minInsights into Rabbi Ashlag's Kabbalah podcastGetting to the Heart of the Matter: Rabbi Ashlag's Unique ContributionRabbi Yehudah Leib Ashlag, whose 66th yahrzeit falls on this Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish Year, not only penetrated and opened the Torah of the holy Ari and the holy Zohar but showed us the pathways of love that form the heart of Judaism.
2020-09-2717 minNehora School AudioGetting to the Heart of the Matter: Rabbi Ashlag's Unique Contribution
Drawn to the study of Kabbalah from a very early age, Rabbi Ashlag understood the Kabbalah’s unique integrating function of heart and mind, of feeling and thought, of faith and of service to God. He penetrated the technicalities of the Torah of the Ari, showing that the Sephirot and their pathways are simply the pathways of love between God and ourselves.
Kabbalah is a part of the oral tradition, the Torah shel baal peh, and was always a part of the whole Torah. Thus our greatest sages were also Kabbalists. Rabbi Ashlag was one suc...
2020-09-2717 minNehora School AudioMy soul, Jerusalem: —An Inner View of Tisha B’Av
When we visit Jerusalem today, we see a thriving city, one of the most beautiful in the world: bustling and busy, filled with people, old and young, living their lives. So what does it mean for us today to sit on the floor on the ninth day of Av and mourn the destruction of the Temple and the devastation of Jerusalem??
Rabbi Yehudah Lev Ashlag, the great Kabbalist, looks at the cause of the destruction from the perspective of the devastation of the sanctuary within ourselves. The sanctuary within is our inner Jerusalem, our inner...
2020-07-2836 minInsights into Rabbi Ashlag's Kabbalah podcastMy soul, Jerusalem: —An Inner View of Tisha B’AvWhen we look at the mourning on Tisha b’Av, we are actually mourning the disconnect with our spiritual source. Destruction of the temple in Jerusalem meant that the direct revelation of the light of God was no longer available to the people as a whole. Gradually living without the direct revelation of God in our lives has become the norm. We need to remember that this is not normal, and each one of us needs to mourn and long for a direct connection with the Creator in our mind heart and soul. This is the rebuilding of Jerusalem within ou...
2020-07-2836 min
Nehora School AudioCoronavirus, Chaos, and Kabbalah
Our world, both politically and culturally, is in turmoil. Our value systems are being turned upside down. Freedom of speech in the West is no longer guaranteed. Our economic systems serve only a few with the majority suffering under huge burdens. And, in more than one country, democracy itself and the freedom of the individual are under attack. All this was true before, but now added to that are the Coronavirus crisis and the latest riots in the US and the world. Where are we heading?
Times of chaos are definitely uncomfortable for us: and...
2020-06-2232 minInsights into Rabbi Ashlag's Kabbalah podcastCoronavirus, Chaos, and KabbalahOur world, both politically and culturally is in turmoil. Our value systems are being turned upside down. Freedom of speech in the West is no longer guaranteed. Our economic systems serve only a few with the majority suffering under huge burdens. And, in more than one country, democracy itself and the freedom of the individual are under attack. All this was true before, but now added to that is the Coronavirus crisis and the latest riots in the US and the world. Where are we heading?
Times of chaos are definitely uncomfortable for us: and we are the individuals who...
2020-06-2200 minInsights into Rabbi Ashlag's Kabbalah podcastWhy do we feel conflicted over Torah and mitzvot? – a post for ShavuotAll the Jewish people living today are sparks of the 600, 000 root souls of Israel that stood together at Mount Sinai and received the Torah. Those root souls are us. We reincarnate, time and again, throughout the generations. And so we too stood together at the foot of the Mountain and experienced the voice of God. That moment is forever etched into our souls.
On the other hand when we are told what is in the Torah, we begin to see it makes demands on us. It demands that we work with it, learn it, practice it. It makes ethical demands, in...
2020-05-2622 minInsights into Rabbi Ashlag's Kabbalah podcastWhy was Kabbalah concealed and why is it being revealed now?Why was Kabbalah hidden form previous generations, and why is it revealed to us now? We find it is not because we are worthy, but that without Kabbalah we cannot fulfill the purpose of our lives and come to the full redemption which is now close.
2020-01-2826 minInsights into Rabbi Ashlag's Kabbalah podcastActions and words in this world cause a corresponding action or word in the Spiritual WorldsThe Zohar teaches us that when we act in holiness, that is in giving unconditionally, we cause blessing and holiness to flow back to us. With the actions we do with the lulav and etrog we cause the seven Sephirot of Chesed, Gevurah, Tiferet, Netzach, Hod, Yesod, and Malchut to bring blessings of love and compassion from the higher Sephirah of Binah to all the world.
2019-10-1820 minInsights into Rabbi Ashlag's Kabbalah podcastWhat does the prayer "Write me in the book of life" really mean for me?Can we say the prayer “ write us in the book of life” wholeheartedly? Most of us would simply say yes. But Rabbi Ashlag finds that this is not such a simple prayer as it seems on the surface. Life, does not refer to just physical life but actually means loving unconditionally and wishing to do good unconditionally. Which part of ourselves can sign up to that wholeheartedly, and what holds us back? The work of Elul for the High Holidays.
2019-09-2414 minInsights into Rabbi Ashlag's Kabbalah podcastRedemption: the Essence of ShavuotShavuot, the festival of the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai, shares the same essence as that of the day of the final redemption, when all the tikkun of Creation will be complete, and the “Earth will be filled with the knowledge of God as the water covers the sea.” What are the elements that demonstrate this, and what is our role in bringing this great day nearer? A talk from the Zohar and the commentary of Rabbi Ashlag.
2019-06-0720 minInsights into Rabbi Ashlag's Kabbalah podcastThe Name of God on Seder NightJust as we were exiled in the historical Egypt, we all suffer different aspects of exile wherein we are in exile from our inner selves. Connecting with the name of God, HaShem helps us put our trust in God, helps us forgive ourselves and others and helps trust that HaShem will release us from the bondage of our inner Pharaoh, as indeed He does.
2019-04-1527 minInsights into Rabbi Ashlag's Kabbalah podcastAll the People Saw the VoicesIn these weeks we read the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai in the weekly parasha. All the root souls of the children of Israel were there. This moment of being in God’s presence, of hearing his voice indelibly changed us, both as individuals and as a people, and through us the world.
What was this experience like? What did we, who were there, feel? How did we experience God’s voice? The Torah tells us the facts: and indeed they are dramatic, but to get inside the experience we need to go to the Zohar the central text...
2019-01-3016 minInsights into Rabbi Ashlag's Kabbalah podcastThe Fruit of HolinessWhy is Tu B’shvat the New Year for trees? What does this mean for us as human beings? In which ways are the human and the tree similar? What are our fruits of holiness that are equivalent to the fruit given to us by the tree? These and other questions are addressed by Rabbi Baruch Shalom Ashlag in a remarkable letter he wrote to his students on Tu B'shvat 1957.
2019-01-2128 minInsights into Rabbi Ashlag's Kabbalah podcastGive us the Truth of Ya'acov: True Intentions Disguised by ActionsThe Zohar on the story of Jacob and Esau opens us to the real intentions of our forefather Jacob. We discover that his only desire was to bring righteousness about and to help Esau despite himself.
2018-11-0924 minInsights into Rabbi Ashlag's Kabbalah podcastMourning for our Inner Temple on Tisha B'AvRabbi Ashlag teaches that the real mourning we do on Tisha B' Av is to mourn the lack of awareness of our own inner Jerusalem, our soul. The lack of space we give her, the ways we override her whisper with the strident shouts of the ego, and the ways we fail to build our own inner Temple through which her light could be manifest to ourselves and to all who accompany us on our journey here.
2018-07-2016 minCome, Enter the MikvahPodcast LIII: New Birth, First Love Yedidah and Israel 2018My testimony in brief of my new birth and my first love. Israel's 70th birthday is about their new birth and their first love of Elohim
2018-05-1327 minInsights into Rabbi Ashlag's Kabbalah podcastNot Taking Torah Literally!The Zohar itself declares we should not use the Torah as telling literal stories. These are its words:
Rabbi Shimon said: "Woe to the man who says that the Torah comes to tell literal stories and stories of people like Esau and Laban and such like. For if this were so, even in these times we could make a Torah out of the words of ordinary people — even nicer stories than these."
In this podcast we look at Rabbi Ashlag’s disappointment to such a use of the Kabbalah and how it fueled his resolve to bring out the true wisdom o...
2018-01-2618 minNehora School AudioNot Taking Torah Literally!
Zohar:
Rabbi Shimon said: Woe to the man who says that the Torah comes to tell literal stories and stories of people like Esau and Laban and such like. For if this were so, even in these times we could make a Torah out of the words of ordinary people — even nicer stories than these.
If the purpose of the Torah were to show the matters of the world, even the rulers of the world have more excellent matters than those in the Torah. Then we could go after them and make from them a...
2018-01-2618 minInsights into Rabbi Ashlag's Kabbalah podcastRabbi Ashlag: What he learned when he reached dvekut with God.One evening in 1892 in a suburb of Warsaw, a seven-year-old boy was lying in bed when, suddenly, a book fell off the bookshelf, hitting him on the head. The boy picked it up and started to examine it. His father, hearing the sound, came in, and seeing the book in his son’s hand, took it from him and replaced it on the shelf. “This is a book for angels, not for you,” said the father. But the boy argued, “If it has been printed, it must be meant for everyone.” “No,” insisted his father, “it is not for you.” But the boy’s curi...
2017-12-2524 minNehora School AudioRabbi Ashlag: What he learned when he reached dvekut with God.
One evening in 1892 in a suburb of Warsaw, a seven-year-old boy was lying in bed when, suddenly, a book fell off the bookshelf, hitting him on the head. The boy picked it up and started to examine it. His father, hearing the sound, came in, and seeing the book in his son’s hand, took it from him and replaced it on the shelf. “This is a book for angels, not for you,” said the father. But the boy argued, “If it has been printed, it must be meant for everyone.” “No,” insisted his father, “it is not for you.” Bu...
2017-12-2524 minNehora School AudioRoot and Branch: The Language of Kabbalah
When we read books of kabbalah, as for example English translations of the Zohar , or look at diagrams of the Sephirot, we often end up more puzzled than enlightened. This is because Kabbalah actually uses a specific language.
As we know, every discipline has its own language. We wouldn’t expect to understand a book on engineering unless we had already mastered the terms used. So why do we get so surprised when we don’t fully understand what we’re reading in the Kabbalah?
The answer is based on the way the Kabbalah...
2017-11-2314 minInsights into Rabbi Ashlag's Kabbalah podcastRoot and Branch: The Language of KabbalahWhen we read books of kabbalah, as for example English translations of the Zohar , or look at diagrams of the Sephirot, we often end up more puzzled than enlightened. This is because Kabbalah actually uses a specific language.
2017-11-2314 minInsights into Rabbi Ashlag's Kabbalah podcastThe Words, Letters, and Sentences that Make up our LivesThe words of the Torah are the vessels for its wisdom. They are written as black letters on the white parchment . The white is the light of the wisdom of the Torah, but if it were not for the letters we would not know what it says. Similarly our lacks and desires make up the words of our lives. By learning the meanings of the words of the Torah and of the Kabbalah we can understand our own desires more accurately . We look at "zivug", the union of opposites and see how it applies to relationships.
2017-06-1915 min2017-05-1141 minNehora School AudioA Letter for Rosh Hashanah by Rabbi Baruch Shalom Ashlag: Looking forward
“Happy is the man who does not forget You and the son of man makes an effort in You.”
In this happy and optimistic letter for the New Year that Rabbi Baruch Shalom Ashlag wrote to his friends and students in the Beit Hamidrash for Rosh Hashanah, he teaches that the themes of Rosh Hashanah are actually advice the Sages are giving us in how to come closer to our Creator.
May we all be blessed with a sweet, happy and healthy year full of goodness for each one of us , our families and t...
2016-10-0211 minInsights into Rabbi Ashlag's Kabbalah podcastA Letter for Rosh Hashanah by Rabbi Baruch Shalom Ashlag: Looking forwardIn this happy and optimistic letter for the New Year that Rabbi Baruch Shalom Ashlag wrote to his friends and students in the Beit Hamidrash for Rosh Hashanah, he teaches that the themes of Rosh Hashanah are actually advice the Sages are giving us in how to come closer to our Creator.
2016-10-0211 minInsights into Rabbi Ashlag's Kabbalah podcastSounding our own ShofarThe great light of God that comes into the world on Rosh Hashanah is identical to that which came into the world at the time of its Creation. But if we were to receive it "straight", as it were, it would be dangerous for us. The shofar sounds the voice of loving-kindness and compassion, which clothes this great light so all the world may benefit from the light of God in its bounty and blessing.
2016-09-2119 minInsights into Rabbi Ashlag's Kabbalah podcastWhat do we ask Forgiveness for?In Judaism the word "sin" actually means missing the mark. When we look back on our lives , we may see many things we wish now we had done differently. It transpires that the main sin is that we didn't ask for help when we needed it. An article from the Kabbalist Rabbi Baruch Shalom Ashlag
2016-08-2515 minInsights into Rabbi Ashlag's Kabbalah podcastFeeling Sad, Feeling Happy, in our Service to GodFeeling sad and feeling happy all at the same time? Conflicting emotions aren't that rare; interestingly enough the Zohar talks about them in context with the person who wants to draw closer to God again after having strayed. How can he come close to God when he is feeling sad, when the injunction is " serve the Lord with gladness" !? Rabbi Baruch Ashlag looks at this Zohar with sympathy and depth.
2016-08-0217 minInsights into Rabbi Ashlag's Kabbalah podcastTorah: a Source of BalanceWe have two ways of relating to the goodness that the Creator gives us: receiving or giving. But these two functions are very often mutually opposite, each feeling that its own way is the correct way, even though such function is often incomplete. But a greater harmony and balance is achieved by co-operation, thus causing a third, middle way to emerge. The Torah itself comes forth from and guides us to this middle way.
2016-06-2222 minInsights into Rabbi Ashlag's Kabbalah podcastThe Story of the Children of Israel in Egypt is Our StoryRabbi Ashlag teaches the redemption of the Children of Israel from Egypt as an on-going process within ourselves. He teaches that Egypt is within us, personified as our egoism, and this constitutes our bondage. The elements of the Pesach preparations and Seder night guide us so we can also celebrate our own redemption by the Hand of the Almighty with joy.
2016-04-1719 minInsights into Rabbi Ashlag's Kabbalah podcastBecoming AdamBecoming Adam implies coming to resemble the Creator in His loving kindness and unconditional love. But how can we fully embody this? From the Kabbalah of Rabbi Baruch Shalom HaLevi Ashlag
2016-03-2716 minInsights into Rabbi Ashlag's Kabbalah podcastTrue UnityWhen the children of Israel encamped at Mount Sinai, the Sages teach that they encamped "as one man with one heart." It is from this teaching we understand that the revelation of God to the people at Mount Sinai was dependent on their being united What does this unity imply? How do we achieve unity while still respecting our individuality? Rather than look at this idea in a philosophical way, Rabbi Ashlag taught unity in the most practical way possible, by encouraging mutual love, support and responsibility between his students. His advice then is still good now.
2016-02-1516 minInsights into Rabbi Ashlag's Kabbalah podcastDealing with Pharaoh"In every generation, a man is obliged to see himself or herself, as if he is coming out of Egypt." Every single day we mention the redemption from Egypt in our prayers. The coming out of Egypt, is not a one- time historical event, but a present reality for each and every one of us. Each one of us has within us our own personal Egypt. The word Egypt in Hebrew is מצרים which means narrow or constricted places. Each one of us has our own limitations that we need help in overcoming. We need our own redemption. From the Torah of Ra...
2016-01-2019 minInsights into Rabbi Ashlag's Kabbalah podcastCalled to PrayerPrayer is our connection with our Source. Yet there are many sad and broken people in the world who yet do not call out to the Divine for help. Rabbi Ashlag teaches us that the very turning to God constitutes a Divine call to us. Zohar
2016-01-0315 minInsights into Rabbi Ashlag's Kabbalah podcastThe Chanukah Candle WithinWithout the wick, the oil, and the vessel to place it in, the flame of the candle cannot light. Each of these three components have an inner equivalent in our service of God, with which we, too, can light our own inner flame. From the teachings of Rabbi Baruch Shalom Ashlag
2015-12-0715 minInsights into Rabbi Ashlag's Kabbalah podcastJacob's Intentions: A Man of TruthIf we don't know the intentions of the other person we can so easily misjudge their overt actions. Nowhere is this truer than in the Bible stories. Learning the literal story alone, may even lead us away from the truth revealed within it. By revealing intentions, the Kabbalah teaches us the consciousness of the Torah in a way that we can grow ourselves. Nowhere is this more poignant than in the story of Jacob and Esau.
2015-11-1717 minInsights into Rabbi Ashlag's Kabbalah podcastThe Creation: The Vision of the End is Inherent in its BeginningIn the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. From that English translation we would infer that this verse is talking about the initial creation, which subsequently unfolded. But the Sages of the Zohar took a rather different view of this statement. They saw this verse as embodying the glorious fulfillment of the Creation, when humankind will come to a full consciousness of compassion and love.
2015-10-3015 minInsights into Rabbi Ashlag's Kabbalah podcastRosh Hashanah: the Festival of ChoiceRosh HaShanah, the new year is a day of choice; a day when we are given the possibility of choosing again. This is an amazing thought. For so many of us, the days go by and we seem to have drifted into habits of thought , feeling and even actions, which on closer examination we may not in fact espouse.
So what does this new choice consist of, and how do we choose? From the Kabbalah of Rabbi Baruch Shalom Ashlag
2015-09-1316 minNehora School AudioRosh Hashanah: the Festival of Choice
Rosh HaShanah, the new year is a day of choice; a day when we are given the possibility of choosing again. This is an amazing thought. For so many of us, the days go by and we seem to have drifted into habits of thought, feeling and even actions, which on closer examination we may not in fact espouse.
So what does this new choice consist of, and how do we choose?
As the Sages teach us, we are made up of body and soul. The body aspect of ourselves is actually the framework of...
2015-09-1316 minInsights into Rabbi Ashlag's Kabbalah podcastReturning to our Source: TeshuvahThe soul's origin is God. To return, to do the work of teshuvah, is to return to our origin; no longer separated from God, no longer divided from our truest selves, but united in the Divine. This opportunity is a gift of the Creator to all of creation. From the teachings of Rabbi Kook and Rabbi Baruch Shalom Ashlag.
2015-09-0117 minInsights into Rabbi Ashlag's Kabbalah podcastWhy did God Go?In the external world, the Temple has been destroyed and is not yet rebuilt. We lack the real living reality of God within the heart of the nation. If we extrapolate that to our inner selves we can see, that what we are really missing is the experience of the presence of God within ourselves, and it is that lack that we mourn at this time.
2015-07-2413 minInsights into Rabbi Ashlag's Kabbalah podcastIt is Through our Feelings that we may Attain the Names of GodIn a letter that Rabbi Ashlag wrote to his brother, he teaches that the soul incarnates into this world, because only when it is clothed in the physical can it experience feeling; whereas in the higher realms it has knowledge of God but not feeling. It is through our difficult feelings that we long for the revelation of God's light in our lives, creating the desire, the vessel for his light.
2015-07-0219 minInsights into Rabbi Ashlag's Kabbalah podcastThe Torah as a Jewel"She shall give to your head a garland of grace, a crown of glory she shall grant you” The inner beauty of the Torah speaks to our soul, as the essence of the Torah , the essence of the soul and the essence of the Creator are One. A life of Torah is a beautification of the Creation . From the teachings of Rabbi Ashlag on the Zohar and on the Etz Chayim of the Ari z''l
2015-06-0816 minInsights into Rabbi Ashlag's Kabbalah podcastThe Hidden Beauty of the Spiritual NightThe term "night", in the language of the Kabbalah refers to the time when the Creator's presence is hidden from us. We yearn for the day… . But is there something we are missing? The Zohar hints to us that there is a special value to the time of the night. From the teachings of Rabbi Ashlag in preparation for the festival of Shavuot.
2015-05-1712 minInsights into Rabbi Ashlag's Kabbalah podcastHe Keeps His PromiseBlessed be He who keeps His promise to Israel.
This saying in the Haggadah gets greater force when we learn a remarkable article in the Zohar, in which we learn how faith played a crucial part in the redemption and that God, kept His promise to the froefathers, Abraham Isaac and Jacob to the letter. This is a promise we rely on even today.
2015-04-0913 minInsights into Rabbi Ashlag's Kabbalah podcastPurim Then and Now: A Message for our Turbulent TimesWe are living in turbulent times; the light of redemption is close but so are the forces of destruction growing. How do we deal with this?The inner meanings of the Megillat Esther as explained by Rabbi Ashlag teach us what choices are available to us, and how to make these choices conscious and positive.
2015-03-0423 minInsights into Rabbi Ashlag's Kabbalah podcastInner slavery / Inner RedemptionRabbi Ashlag teaches that all the events of the Torah are not simply historical events but a record of the revelation of God within us. Thus in our psyche we find all the elements of the story of the Exodus, including the inner Pharaoh. How does this inner pharaoh manifest, and what is going to help us get free?
2015-01-2516 minInsights into Rabbi Ashlag's Kabbalah podcastExile Followed Inner DescentWe think that our thoughts are a response to our outer reality. However, Rabbi Ashlag in examining the causes of the exile of the Children of Israel in Egypt shows that precisely the opposite occurred there. The Children of Israel suffered initially a spiritual descent, which then enabled the Egyptians to gain a hold over them they would otherwise never have achieved. The same principles hold true for each of us, regarding our own inner exiles, and our inner redemptions today.
2015-01-1215 minInsights into Rabbi Ashlag's Kabbalah podcastWhen God's Light is Hidden From Us"O God, My God, You, I seek You. My soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for You, in an arid and thirsty land without water" ( Psalm 63). David said these words when he was in sorrow and trouble. The Zohar looks at the circumstances in which David said this Psalm , and shows us the nature of God's light when it is hidden from us. It transpires that David is actually teaching us the consciousness of God's light when it is concealed from us and how we may yet connect with God even when we can't.
2014-12-1119 minInsights into Rabbi Ashlag's Kabbalah podcastThe Truth of JacobThe Sages of the Zohar asked Rabbi Shimon Bar Yohai , Why did Jacob withhold giving Esau some lentil stew until he had sold him the birthright? The unspoken question is "Is that the way a righteous man behaves?!" Rabbi Shimon Bar Yohai 's answer, was decisive. Jacob was a righteous man of truth who is incapable of deceiving anyone. What was this truth of Yaakov and how does it affect us till this day?
2014-11-2524 minInsights into Rabbi Ashlag's Kabbalah podcastThe Binding of Isaac; the Completion of LoveThe Binding of Isaac, the Akedah, is not understandable in normal human terms. By studying the teachings of the Zohar on this event, we are led to see how it was an act of great love and fulfillment equivalent in its essence to that of the creation of the first day in which both Abraham and Isaac took part fully.
2014-11-1316 minInsights into Rabbi Ashlag's Kabbalah podcastAnd God spoke to Avraham"And God spoke to Avraham". These three words open a new birth for humanity; they herald a new consciousness in the world— on a deeper level they are the words, which both God and Man have been waiting for, the advent of Avraham, the embodiment of loving-kindness.
2014-11-0618 minInsights into Rabbi Ashlag's Kabbalah podcastTaking it Personally: Cain and AbelThe stories of the Torah are actually elements represented within ourselves. By identifying our inner Cain and our inner Abel we can find alternative means of behavior that prevent our inner Cain from "murdering" our inner Abel.
2014-10-2722 minInsights into Rabbi Ashlag's Kabbalah podcastThe Succah of FaithWhat does the Torah refer to when it says that God made the Children of Israel dwell in Succot when they came out of Egypt? Going beyond any historical fact the succah has an inner significance of the entire coming year helping us build a vessel for the light of faith.From the teaching of Rabbi Ashlag
2014-10-1011 minInsights into Rabbi Ashlag's Kabbalah podcastThe Gate of Tears is Never LockedYom Kippur is a day of prayer and supplication. But do I know what I really want to pray for? How do I know what my deepest needs really are? If I express them with the sorrow and pain I feel, will they be answered? From an essay by Rabbi Baruch Shalom Halevi Ashlag
2014-09-2816 minInsights into Rabbi Ashlag's Kabbalah podcastI am for my Beloved, and my Beloved is for Me.Our relationship with God is a dialogue. Our thoughts, words and actions, and, even more, our intentions affect this most intimate of our relationships profoundly. Nowhere is this dialogue seen more clearly than at this time of the year, when "the King is in the field" and our soul is close to us. From an oral talk by Rabbi Ashlag given to his students.
2014-09-0819 minInsights into Rabbi Ashlag's Kabbalah podcastThe Inner Meaning of Seder Night, the Night of RedemptionListen to a live class given by Yedidah on the inner meaning of the Seder night using texts from the the Talmud, the Zohar, and the teachings of Rabbi Yehudah Lev Ashlag.
2013-03-0736 min