Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburgh's blog
Posted in Uncategorized on Aug 8th, 2011
The two elements of fire and water unite in the Temple. The two elements of air and earth unite in the Land of Israel. In the Temple we offer sacrifices to God. The sacrifices ascend in flame on the altar. The Torah calls the sacrifices “fires.” When offering a sacrifice we experience ourselves burning up [...]
Posted in Uncategorized on Aug 7th, 2011
The name of this month, Av, means “father.” This is the month to connect to our parents (father and mother) and honor them. “Honor your father and your mother…” is the fifth of the Ten Commandments. The sages teach that God placed the honor of one’s parents even before His own honor. Why is honoring [...]
Posted in Rectifying the Sense of Sight on Jul 25th, 2011
Both the mind and the heart possess an “inner eye.” On Shabbat the inner eye of the mind opens to see Godliness in contemplative meditation. In the Temple the inner eye of the heart opens to see Godliness in heartfelt prayer. The verse says, “And they shall make for Me a sanctuary and I shall [...]
Posted in Questions in the Bible on May 23rd, 2011
There are six things that one must clarify: Who am I? Where am I? Where did I come from? Where am I going? Who put me here? Why?
Posted in Tweets from the year 5771 on Feb 24th, 2011
Meditative prayer lifts us up and out of our mundane reality. The early chasidim would meditate an hour, pray an hour, then meditate an additional hour. What is meditation? Breaking through hard shells, peeling away soft shells, and eating the fruit. * The 10 blessings of Isaac to Jacob are the connective intermediate between the [...]
Posted in Tweets from the year 5771 on Feb 24th, 2011
Torah is the blueprint of reality. Blue is the color of the sea, the sky, and the Throne of Glory. White – transcendence, blue – immanence. Diamonds are white and sapphires are blue. In Hebrew, “diamonds and sapphires” = Israel. Leah’s 5th and 6th sons were Issachar and Zevulun. Their precious stones on the breastplate [...]
Posted in Tweets from the year 5771 on Feb 24th, 2011
Today, the 20th of Tevet, marks the passing of Moses Maimonides, named “the great eagle,” master of law, philosophy, and medicine. In his interactions with non-Jewish patients he was known for intercultural awareness and respect for the patient’s autonomy. Of course, Maimonides taught that in a rectified world order all people will recognize the truth [...]
Posted in Tweets from the year 5771 on Feb 24th, 2011
For true peace on earth there must be one religion for all mankind. That religion is Judaism: 613 commandments for Jews and 7 for non-Jews. “True peace” = “a word of Torah” = “light” in primordial numbering (see our site). The initials of “a word of Torah” spell “religion.” A universal religion: one God, one [...]
Posted in Tweets from the year 5771 on Feb 24th, 2011
Education need not apply the rod. Chasidic education teaches, with pleasantness, both wisdom and how to fight and beat the enemies of Israel. In terms of the supernal sefirot (Divine emanations) the art of education derives from netzach, which means both victory and eternity. The Jewish People is responsible for the education of all mankind, [...]
Posted in Tweets from the year 5771 on Feb 24th, 2011
“And God saw the light to be good.” The sages say that He saw that the primordial light was too good for this world and hid it in the Torah. Learning Torah reveals the hidden light of creation, the light that shines from one end of the universe to the other instantaneously. The primordial light [...]