ב"ה
Article Summaries of Editors' Picks
Advanced
The Zohar
The sefira of malchut is called "poor" because it only receives the abundance channeled to Her from the higher sefirot. On its own, in exile from the higher sefirot, it has nothing. A poor person is under the control of harsh judgment; everything he eats is from this level of judgment in the place that is called "righteousness", or malchut.
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The Holy Ari
The Ari explains that when a person commits a sin, he stoops to the level of the object of his sin and - at least for the duration of the sin - subjecting to its rule over him. So long as this betrayed-identity remains with him, he cannot be admitted to the chambers of paradise where the delights of this world are insignificant and the soul basks in the glow of the Divine Presence and must first be cleansed through transmigration of souls.
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Intermediate
G-d is
personally involved in the fertility of the Jewish people, instead of leaving
the matter to the laws of nature.
Although horoscopic influences ('mazal') generally rule the world, G-d make exceptions to this in reference to the Jews in three areas – procreation, livelihood, and life and death - by "moving the relevant constellation "aside" to enable Israel to overcome negative influences.
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Intermediate
Chasidic Masters
G-d promises us that if we learn His Torah and keep His laws, He will give us everything that we need. But our learning must not be like letters are written with ink on parchment or paper, but must be like engraving with the letters etched upon our hearts and souls. The best way to do this is by learning not only the revealed Torah but also the hidden Torah – Kabbalah.
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Contemporary Kabbalists
" he does exchange it,
both it and its exchange shall be holy….":
The Lubavitcher Rebbe explains that mystically, exchanging one animal for another refers to changing the mundane into holiness. With regard to one's fellow human being, this means bringing someone who is estranged from his soul back to it, revealing to him his connection to G-d. |
Beginner
Ascent Lights
Any person
who serves G-d is most certainly blessed for his efforts with all manner of physical and spiritual blessings. Nevertheless, it must be done sincerely for G-d's sake, without an ulterior motive of "serving the Master for the sake of receiving a reward".
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