KosherTorah School

for Biblical, Judaic & Spiritual Studies

www.koshertorah.com
email. [email protected]
Ariel Bar Tzadok, Director, Rabbi

My Wisdom Book
Insights into the Way and Realities of Life,
Through the Kabbalah
by Ariel Bar Tzadok

Table of Contents

Emanation & the Way of God

Seeking God
Consciousness
Will – Keter
Wisdom – Hokhma
Understanding – Binah
Motivation – The Heart of Six
Action
Animal Smart
The Circle & the Square
Conflict
Natural Life
Nature
Nullifying Evil Magic
Patriarch
Perspectives
Proper Pacing
Pushing
Religion
Religion and Culture
Revelation
Righteousness
The Sabbath
Temperaments 1
Temperaments 2
Torah & Sage 1
Torah & Sage 2
The Warrior
Of Women 1
Of Women 2
Grandfather Tiger

1
Copyright © 1993-2019 by Ariel Bar Tzadok. All rights reserved.
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Ariel Bar Tzadok, Director, Rabbi

Emanation & the Way of God

Seeking God

Seeking to know God is a noble endeavor. Yet, how can one find God if one does not
know where to look? How can one find God if one does not know what to look for?

From childhood, we are told many a fable. God is portrayed to us in many forms that we
human beings can easily recognize. Yet, as we mature, and become adults, we must
learn to let go of childish ways, and seek out God in truth, and not just in fable.

We are taught that God is the Creator of all things. God is above the universe, and at the
same time within every part of it. We are taught that God is everywhere, and in
everything, at all times and even above time itself. God is the consciousness of
existence. God is Mind Absolute.

I can understand this with childlike innocence, and imagine God in my human mind.
Yet, although we imagine God to be this way or that, our imaginations are nothing more
than illusions. Whatever it is we think we know about God is, by definition, limited by
the boundaries of human understanding. Our minds can only grasp a small portion of
universal reality, therefore, whatever knowledge we have of God is by definition
severely limited.

We must understand this; we have no pure knowledge, we have only pieces. We do not
know ultimate truth; we have only an illusion of it. When we humbly accept our
limitations, we begin to see the greater universe with adult eyes.

In order to seek out God, we must first recognize what God is not, before we can come
to know what God is. God cannot be comprehended by human intellect; indeed, even
the human heart cannot grasp something as vast as the Creator of the universe. In the
end, we seek that which cannot be sought. We crave to know a truth that we cannot
comprehend or even experience.

With all that we cannot know, we still seek out God, and we still so often fail to
recognize where God is to be found. God is to be found within His creation. Every
movement in time and space reveals the Presence of the Creator. Indeed, one who
ponders well the way of the world will come to perceive how the Creator directs the
universe.

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God is not found exclusively within the books of religion. Instead, God is found in that
which “He” has created, the universe and life itself. Knowing God ultimately and
intimately might be beyond our present human boundaries. Yet, there is still much for
us to learn, to perceive the invisible Hand, and learn the truths of the universe. We call
this the Way of Heaven.

Only when a child grows up, and begins to think and act like an adult can that one be
expected to embrace and handle responsibility. Only a mature adult can come to
discover God in the proper way as prescribed by Heaven.

Children will continue to bicker about what is written in their books. Adults, on the
other hand, experience matters directly. They have no need to bicker over words in
books, for they have first hand experience, and knowledge. Adults know what the
books mean, for the books were not written by children, but rather by like-minded
adults. Only children read, and do not understand. Only children need stories to help
their young minds adjust in their long and arduous path towards adulthood.

Seeking God is truly a noble endeavor. This path leads one to become truly, and fully
human. Learn from creation to recognize the Creator, for His Hand is concealed within
His handiwork. His ways are revealed through life itself.

Consciousness

Consciousness, the most precious of gifts, is the one least understood. Awareness means
to be acutely familiar with one’s surroundings. Consciousness goes beyond this, and
enables one to be aware of that which is close, and that which is far, in both space and
time.

Consciousness is found in that place where mind meets heart, where what you know,
and what you feel merge into one. Consciousness transcends all limitations.
Consciousness sees where the eye cannot, it travels where the body cannot, it knows
what the mind alone cannot, and it feels what the heart alone cannot. Consciousness
combines all these things, and is a product greater than the sum of its parts.

Consciousness is what separates humanity from the animal kingdom. Consciousness

equals sentience. Yet, consciousness is not limited to humanity alone. Many others in
our universe share consciousness, some greater than others, all sharing an awareness of
themselves, the universe, and of the others.

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The universe itself is conscious, as are the individual planets. Each of us can learn to
communicate with any other sentient being through the vehicle of consciousness. This
includes the planets, and even the universe itself. The Ultimate Consciousness however
exists outside the universe, and is the source of every flow and stream that
consciousness emanates. The Ultimate Consciousness we have come to call God.

The Ultimate Consciousness exists within everything, for everything emanates forth
from it. Each individual sentient being can, therefore, travel through mind and through
consciousness, and commune with anything, anywhere and at any time. Traveling
through consciousness is the true doorway that opens all space and time, laying it out
before one, making the entire universe one’s own personal domain.

Consciousness is connection. In consciousness, there is both knowledge and

understanding. Consciousness is of the mind, it transcends feelings and emotions.
Consciousness is recognized by what one knows, and therefore becomes. One who has
not been transformed through consciousness to recognize the unity of all, and to
embrace this unity, has not become conscious of the Ultimate.

Knowing the Ultimate Consciousness is our human destiny. We are taught that we are
created in the Image of God, this means that we are conscious sentient creatures with
the ability to unite Heaven and Earth, time and space, through the domain of
consciousness. As it is above, so is it below.

Knowing the Ultimate is what expands consciousness. One with expanded

consciousness knows the Ultimate. The relationship is personal, and intimate. Knowing
the Ultimate Consciousness shines the internal Light of Limitless Mind upon all things
within and without.

The Ultimate Consciousness creates vibration, and forms movement. Through

movement and vibration, consciousness emits its Voice. This is the Voice of God, the
spoken Word, the Supernal Living Torah.

Know the Voice, and you will know the Speaker. Know the Speaker, and you will achieve
expanded consciousness. Expand consciousness, and you will fulfill your destiny and
purpose for being human. Awaken to truth within, and you will discover the truth
without.

Awaken sleeping soul. Be silent, look within. Delve into the depths of being and discover
that which is already there, lying dormant beneath the surface level of your nascent
thinking mind.

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Will – Keter

Before all, there is Nothing. Nothing is a something unto itself. It is only Nothing to us.
Being that to us Nothing is a no thing, there is not much to say about it. No words can
be used to discuss No Thing.

Nothing becomes revealed through something. Yet, as with everything, something has a
beginning, a middle, and an end. The beginning of something, of everything is its Will.

Will is the intention and desire to be. Prior to becoming, there must first be the Will to
become. Everything in creation has a beginning. The beginning of everything is its Will
to be, to develop into that which it is.

Will is the kernel, the seed, the tiny small essence that contains within its smallness the
entire plan, and process for becoming. Will includes within it all that is to be, in its most
fundamental primordial state.

In the Will, there is the desire for everything to be. Yet, Will does not manifest the
different parts. Will does not think; Will does not feel; Will does not act. Yet, Will
manifests the drive that gives birth to thought; Will expresses the desire that gives rise
to feelings, and Will creates the impetus and drive that motivates actions. All this is
brought forth from Will, whereas at the same time Will is none of these.

Will is a power, the manifestation of being, even before the birth of consciousness. Will
reveals something from the Nothing. That something goes through the process of
creation, birth, and evolution until such a time when it masters maturity and fullness.
In this state only is there completion. In this state only has the full Will become
manifest.

Will begins as a motivation and desire, and ends with action culminating in completion
and perfect expression. When there is a Will, there is a way. The opposite is also true;
when there is no Will, there will be no way; no way to accomplish, no way to succeed.

Will is therefore the source of all; it is the beginning of all things. It is the seed.
A seed needs to be planted in fertile soil in order to live, to grow, and prosper. The soil
that nourishes the seed of Will is the genesis of thought, the inner Mind, the
unconscious, intuitive knowing, best known as Wisdom.

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Wisdom – Hokhma

Out of the darkness comes a light. The light is small but bright. It seems to come out of
nowhere, yet within the light there is a sense that it has comes from a place that is the
center, and the source. The light is ever so small but it changes the entire realm of
darkness.

In the dark, nothing can be seen or know. Out of the dark now, in the light I can see. Yet,
what is it that I am seeing. I know it but at the same time, I do not know it. In the light,
however small it is, I can look and grasp a glimpse of the purpose behind the darkness.

The light, however small it is brings to me awareness. In the light I can see, in the light
there comes to me insight. I am; I exist; there is an I and I am me. The light shines and
enables me to know that I am. I know that I am, yet I am not thinking this, I instead just
know it. I am not feeling it, instead I the awareness is upon me, like the light itself. This
is what is called enlightenment. The light within shines and enables one to know the I
within.

Enlightenment is the revelation of truth from within. Enlightenment is the awareness of

that which is before that which is can be differentiated from that which is not.
I exist; this is true even prior to my being aware that I exist. My becoming aware of my
existence and that I am is the first of all enlightenments and the beginning of wisdom.

Within me, all that is to be, exists, even prior to my being aware of it. Within the small
light, I am aware of myself yet I am also aware of the darkness. I know that I exist
within the light, yet I do not know what exists within the darkness.

I do not move the light from place to place, yet the light does move me from place to
place. As the light moves so I go, for I exist only within the realm of the light. If I step
into the darkness then I will no longer be able to see myself. I will become invisible to
myself and therefore I will become blind to the world.

I am in the light. I exist within the light. However small the light may be, it reveals to
me that I am, that I am here, now. What all this means I must learn to comprehend.
I must learn to understand.

Understanding – Binah

I can see it but it is still far away. Yet, if I focus my vision I can see it more clearly, I can
make its appearance more sharp.

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When the light shines, its brilliance is often blinding. Sometimes the light makes it
harder to see. Therefore, I block the glare, and try to focus. When I block out the excess
light I can see with clarity. I do not remove the light; I merely decrease its intensity.

The light of Mind is often profound, often too much to grasp all at once. A brilliant idea
is like a shining light, sometimes, one must block out the excess light in order to focus
and make use of that which is received. This is the process of absorbing intuition. This
is the act of embracing enlightenment. This is called understanding.

Wisdom is the brilliant light of consciousness revealed from the Will. Yet, wisdom alone
is so profound, and abstract that without proper consideration, its message and
meaning can become lost. Here is where the logical mind of the intellect steps in, and
acts as the filter to block all excess light and superfluous thought, enabling one to sift
out of the light those ideas and concepts that are most beneficial and valuable for the
immediate situation at hand.

With understanding, I can perceive and grasp what it is the light is revealing. My Will is,
it simply is. My Wisdom reveals to me that I am. Yet, it takes understanding for me to
finally grasp what I am. I am what I am; this is understanding; the mother of motivation
and action.

Order and definition, comprehension and clarity; these are the expressions of
understanding. These define intelligence. Intelligence is the focused light, the lazar
beam of consciousness that enables the thinking mind to grasp, comprehend and focus
the nebulous light of wisdom and crystallize it into a usable form.

Understanding is intelligence. It is rational and logical. It takes the sublime light of

wisdom, and carves the natural gem into a polished diamond. Wisdom and
understanding together are the two halves of the one mind, one-half known, one-half
unknown, one-half revealed, one-half concealed, one-half conscious, one-half
unconscious. Together they work in unison; together they create one whole mind.

The Mind is the faculty through which the Will becomes manifest. First, there is
revelation, and then there is comprehension. Yet, in order to fully comprehend, one
must contemplate that which is revealed by wisdom.

One begins with rational analysis, and then drifts off into contemplative imagination. It
is here that the unconscious mind, source of intuitive inner knowing, again injects a
spark of the light of wisdom into the intellect. This is enlightenment.

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Then the conscious mind again uses the talents of intellect and analysis to understand,
that which was revealed. This again leads one to contemplative imagination and the
process of thought continues.

Thus in our minds we move back and forth, from wisdom to understanding, from
understanding to wisdom. In this is the process of thought made complete.

When thought is complete and the picture of action has been formed, then the thought
needs to become manifest in action. Thought is translated into action through
motivation. Motivation is of the heart.

Motivation – The Heart of Six

I know now what must be done. Clarity encompasses me. Everything makes sense,
everything fits into place. I must now act.

I feel compelled. I must act. I must express that which is inside me. I feel so much
energy swelling up inside me needing to pour out. Passion, explosive power, spreading
out; these words best describe how I feel. They flow into my heart.

Hesed – Expansion – the first of days that form the week of my spirit.

I want to explode outward; I want to express every bit and essence inside me. Yet, there
has to be a limit. I know that enough has to be enough. I feel that I must withdraw and
be reserved; for it is in my reserve that I can best restrict what is inside me and
therefore best express it, through limitation. This flows into my heart.

Gevurah – Limitation – the second of days that form the week of my spirit.

There has to be a balance between my passion for expression and my feelings to be

reserved and even secretive. Balance is the key. I must know how much is enough and
how much is not enough. Only when I can balance what I feel with what I want will
there be peace and harmony inside me. Knowing this is my heart, my center.

Tiferet – Balance – the third of days that form the week of my spirit.

I must express my newfound state of balance. The benefit of it is most profound and
stabilizing. By imposing it and bringing order, by conquering chaos I bring alignment
and justice to the world outside myself. Imposing it can be good. Conquering can be

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good. Victory can be good. These are the benefits of balance. These flow forth from my
heart.

Netzah – Imposition – the forth of the days that form the week of my spirit.

The benefits of balance bring their own rewards. The glory of proper living, proper
behavior and proper attitude are clear and evident when balance is imposed and chaos
is dissipated. Life is thus beautiful and even glorious. This flows forth from my heart.

Hod – Benefit – the fifth of the days that form the week of my spirit.

I feel so enriched when everything falls into place. I feel so alive, so creative; everything
is in balance, everything is in alignment, everything is working the way it should. My
creative energy flows; it is the foundation of so many things. This truly expresses all
that is in my heart.

Yesod – Creativity – the sixth of the days that form and finalize the week of my spirit.

Thus, my feelings of compulsion arouse within me the awareness of my limitations.

This causes me to pause until I balance the two in my heart thus creating order, justice
and what I know to be proper. I am again compelled to impose this sense of order onto
chaos, for the benefits thereof are self-evident. In doing this I become alive and I feel
enriched with the spirit of creativity to make so many things.

What was once only in my mind flows into my heart. My heart becomes enriched and
empowered. What I once only knew in theory, I am now motivated to put into practice.
Only through practice can I come to truly know that which my mind sees and my heart
feels. This is where my spirit unites with my soul.

Expression and limitation, imposition and benefit, balance and creativity, these six
define the inner workings of my heart; they describe the world within me and the world
above me. For as this process goes on inside me, this self-same process occurs in
Heaven. As I am motivated to create here on Earth, Heaven is likewise motivated to
create above.

God in Heaven is invisible and unknowable. Yet, we receive a glimpse of the Divine
through that which God does. Yet, that which we see is just a small part of the whole.

Being human, we can never see the full image of creation; we can only experience our
small portion of it. We can only see God’s “small face.” God’s activity in the universe is a

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portrayal of only a small part of the full Divine essence. God in creation, therefore, is
masked with a small face, and a level of concealment.

Action

In the beginning, there is desire, desire gives way to thought; thought gives way to
passion; passion gives rise to action. In the beginning, there is desire, in the end there is
action.

In order for action to be, to be strong, to be established, to last, it must be based upon
desire. Action without desire is a body without a soul. All actions without proper
motivations will eventually be overturned and become nothing. Only those actions
acted out with desire, forethought and passion will maintain themselves and add to the
building of the world.

Action is doing. Doing is creating. Creating is building. Building is the form of action
that enables us to imitate our Creator. We are here on earth to be builders. Action is
what makes or breaks our world.

Building requires focus of action. Building must be constructive, for how does one truly
know to build by destroying? True, we often take one step back in order to take two
steps forward. However, we must first have inner knowledge, intuition and insight to
distinguish between those actions, which break down in order to build up, and those
actions that break down merely to break down and destroy.

Will is great, thought is excellent, passion is necessary, but without action to unite and
bring these all together, each alone cannot stand. The ultimate goal must be what is
done, not what is wanted, what is thought about or what one feels. Actions alone are
the final step. That which is created is nothing if it does not have concrete and stable
form.

Heaven is above and we are here on earth below. What happens in Heaven is done in
Heaven by heavenly beings. What happens here on earth, although directed by Heaven
is still done here on earth, by earthly beings. It is we, here on earth, that do the earthly
things. We are all Heaven’s messengers to accomplish, perform and manifest the Will of
Heaven here on earth.

God is in all things, in all places, at all times. We were created in order to make manifest
here on earth the Light of God concealed within all things. We are God’s agents; we are
the messengers. We have been charged with revealing the Divine Light here on earth. If

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we wish for God to intervene and act in our lives and in human history in general, then
it will be through us that such a manifestation will take place.

We are God’s Hands. We are the instruments in the higher hands. We choose what to
do and what not to do. We choose to reveal light or to extend darkness. We choose
whether to build a beautiful world or to create chaos, suffering and pain.

Actions are what count the most. Good actions that build the world, assisting and
building one another are the best of the lot. We manifest the Hand of God and fulfill the
universal cycle every time we do something that is right, however great or however
small. Action completes the circuit connecting Heaven to Earth.

It is therefore important for us to choose wisely what it is we do and what it is that we

do not do. For we and we alone will either bring Heaven down to Earth or cast off the
Heavenly guidance and create Hell on Earth.

We are the creators, what we do is what we get; no surprises, no salvation, no miracles.

Learn well the Ways of Heaven and do the right things. Reveal the Divine Light or
manifest the Fires of Hell; they both reside within us. What we do will be what we get.

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Ariel Bar Tzadok, Director, Rabbi

Animal Smart

There is an occurrence that I have witnessed many times that continuously baffles me.

Why is it that some people always rush to do that which is dangerous, without taking
the necessary precautions to protect themselves?

How is it that some people can be so blind and foolish not to see the dangers in what
they do, and the foolishness in not being prepared to embrace what they clearly should
not embrace?

I have observed the behavior of animals, creatures supposedly less intelligent than
humans, and I see that they are very well aware of their own mortality. They can sense
danger from a distance, and maintain that distance well to avoid any jeopardy. Animals
know well when to flee, when to hide, and when enough is apparently enough.

I have never witnessed an animal being a thrill seeker, or taking on a task that it is
clearly and naturally not endowed to perform. How is it that we say humans are of
superior intelligence when those in the animal world act with greater common sense?

Human intellectual and spiritual superiority are supposed to make us better and wiser.
How can we maintain such a claim when we lack the most basic of instincts and
parameters of limitations that every animal is endowed with?

In order for one to be fully human, one must do more than just be born. While we
inhabit human bodies, the question remains, have we developed a human soul? Have
we integrated that part of ourselves, that is our innate inner nature, that which makes
us special and unique?

Many of us think that we are smart when we are not smart. Smart is not what you
think; it is how you act!

Intelligence is of the heart, not the mind. One who is intelligent knows deeply within
oneself one’s own parameters and boundaries. One who is smart does not violate these
boundaries. Granted, one who is daring may wish to broaden his boundaries, but only
the smart one will first do what is necessary to change oneself, and transform to be
enabled to do what one could not do before.

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"Practice makes perfect," the old saying goes. But how many are willing to take the
necessary long time to practice and practice repeatedly, to achieve perfection. So many
want to accomplish so much but at the same time are not willing to invest what is
necessary. Achievement without effort is unnatural and abnormal. This imbalance is
foolishness and sheer disrespect and outright ignorance of what is natural.

Many try to take the crown but it will not fit their head. Many try to become king, but
only one can succeed. Many try to reach out and touch Heaven, but only those who
follow the ways of Heaven will ever reach it. We cannot go against the natural way; we
cannot change that which is ordained by a higher authority. We must follow the way,
and stay on the path. Only in this way will we reach the proper destination, safe and
sound.

This is sound advice, everything in nature knows this and follows it; with the one
exception being human beings. Created in the Image of God we are, yet so many chose
to embrace an image far less intelligent than many animals. Why is this terrible thing
so?

One must know one's limitations. One must know the proper path how to expand one’s
potentials. One must be patient and diligent to do what is necessary to become more
efficient, to become better. There are no real shortcuts in life.

All promises of quick results without invested effort are mostly lies and deceptions. Yet,
so many fall for these deceptions. It is as if maybe some want to be deceived and seek
out deception in order to believe a lie about themselves. If an animal were to do this in
the wild, it would be dead within a short time.

It is no wonder then that the Sages of wisdom, from around the world, would seek to
distance themselves from the ways of their fellow men and to commune with nature, to
watch the natural way and to learn from it the true flow and ways of life. The Hand of
Heaven is concealed within the ways of this world. One who separates from the lies of
his fellows will become enlightened by observing the ways of nature, even that of the
animals.

Therefore, learn this well; be fierce like the tiger, light as the eagle, swift like the deer
and mighty like the lion, all in the service of Heaven.

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Ariel Bar Tzadok, Director, Rabbi

The Circle & the Square

I have a question for you.

Which do you think best describes the wholeness of life, the circle, or the square?

The circle, being round, encompasses its end in its beginning. The square having sides
spreads out to the edges of the universe. Then again, the same can be said about the
circle.

The circle and the square, or the sphere and the cube, both are fundamentally different
in structure, yet both encompass the same space. How is it that two different realities
can exist simultaneously in the same space?

Is this a question of abstract philosophy, or is there a practical and relevant side to this,
one that is worthy of our attention?

Shapes are found in everything, everywhere. They have meanings unto themselves, and
then they have a symbolic meaning that human thought applies to them. Which set of
meanings is more true and real, the natural meanings of what and why things are as
they are, or the interpretive meanings that give these things significance and relevance
to us personally.

Herein lies a fundamental question; which reality of the universe is the most correct,
the natural objective, or the psychological subjective? When we look at a thing, what do
we see? Do we see what is actually there, or do we see only our personal interpretation
of what is there?

Before you jump to proclaim the truth of objective natural realty, remember this,
quantum physics has shown that when an object is observed, somehow it is aware that
it is being watched, and changes its behavior accordingly. In other words, natural items
might not act according to their own nature; they might be acting according to ours. If
this is the case then our question of perception becomes extremely relevant.

Is reality as it appears, or is reality as it seems. The two are very different, as different
as the square is from the circle, the cube from the sphere.

Is reality what it is objective and separate from us, or is reality subjective and connected
to us. Does reality happen regardless of us or does reality unfold with us being an
ingredient in the unfolding? Can we or can we not have an influence?

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The universe is like a circle, or a sphere, it began from a point and spreads out towards
infinity, encompassing everything. Nature is rather curvaceous. One thing we do not
find in nature is a straight line, or for that matter a number of interconnecting straight
lines which form a square or cube.

The universe on its own forms the sphere; the mind of man comes, organizes natural
forces, and forms the cube. Both take up the same space at the same time. Both exist
simultaneously, and overlap one another. Both are as real as real gets.

Underlying the fabric of the entire universe there exists the primordial waters; this is
the most essential form of matter. So ethereal is it that maybe it is best to call it Force
instead of form.

Through the Force, the primordial waters, everything in the universe is interconnected
and, therefore, can have an influence on anything. When we view the sphere of natural
law, we mold it to the shape of the human mind, which is the cube.

The unity of the circle and the square is an ancient symbol that represents harmony
between humanity, and nature. It is the union of Heaven and Earth; the completion of
the individual, where one becomes part of the greater whole, and the greater whole
becomes expressed through the one.

The circle and the square. Be the one and embrace the other. In this will one know
completion, fulfillment, and thus find true happiness.

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Conflict

Pay attention now, for I am about to reveal to you secrets of our ancient past, and of our
not too distant future.

Life is a cycle and a circle; what is, already once was, and will be again.

Conflict is a course of action most choose to avoid. But why is this so? Conflict is one of
the most natural processes in the universe. The ultimate conclusion of conflict is
resolution. This is always the case. Resolution is the foundation of peace and stability.
Peace and stability are necessary for growth and successful living. We all seek the end
product of conflict, yet we disdain the process of bringing the end about. Is this a
logical thing?

Nature teaches us that life is an ever-changing constant. This is no contradiction.

Destruction is inevitable, and yet out of destruction always comes construction. After
the devastation of volcanoes, earthquakes and storms, life bounces back, often in a
stronger form than was before. Do we say that nature is in conflict against itself? No,
such thoughts only express human foolishness.

Nature grows by expanding and contracting. We consider nature to be violent, but this
is only our human point of view. Nature is neither violent, nor non-violent. Nature just
is; it follows its own course, as ordained from on high. Nature is not in conflict, we just
interpret it as such. Learn this lesson well, and apply it to humanity.

Conflict in human affairs reflects the natural cycles of growth. Individuals and societies
all face conflicts on a regular basis. When we confront conflict and interact within it,
wisely pursuing our best interests, in the end our best interests are met and fulfilled. As
it is in nature, so it is in the natural order for humanity.

Even in war when there is devastation and mayhem, out of the destructive conflict
comes stability, and a new time of peace and order. There is a time and a purpose for all
things under Heaven; a time for war and a time for peace.

Ancient wars, recent wars, and present ones will all follow this same pattern. One side
will win, one side will lose and in the end, there will be a merging and synthesis through
which all prosper. Yet, this can only come about through battle. Only combat maintains
the status of both sides. If one side were not to fight or to surrender, that side would die
and not continue after the cessation of hostilities. This violates the natural course.

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Conflict is inevitable. It is part of growth; it is part of life. Not only is conflict a healthy
part of life, it is necessary in that it strengthens the resolve to live, survive and thrive.
Only in strength is there survival. Only in strength can one thrive. Conflict breeds
strength.

The mighty volcano explodes, and destroys all in its path. Then is silent again. The
earth licks its wounds, and is quickly healed. Much devastation has been seen here on
Earth, entire extinctions of civilizations and species. Yet, here we are today, the
byproducts and children of that which was gone long ago.

We too shall follow this path. We are here today and we will be gone tomorrow; just
like there were others here long ago before us who have gone their way, and whom we
no longer even remember. In time to come, in our place will come others with their
own ways of things. They too will last their allotted time and then they too will go their
way, only to be replaced by yet still others. Thus goes the saga of life. A time and a
purpose for all things under Heaven; a time to die and a time to be born, a time to break
down and a time to build up.

This is the great cycle, the secret of the supernal Sabbath and the mystery of the ancient
Kings who ruled before “Hadar, King of Edom.” First comes work, then comes rest; then
the new week begins, not the same as the last. One who is wise prepares during the
week for the coming day of rest. One who does not prepare will have nothing to eat and
will not be able to rest or enjoy.

Discard your distractions, and open your hearts. Only when your hearts are open to
Heaven will your eyes then see and your ears hear. Until then there is nothing more to
say.

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Natural Life

The laws of nature are what they are. One cannot break them, or bend them without
consequence. This is just the way that things are. There are no emotions, no feelings in
nature. There is just what is.

We live in the world that is, not in the world that we want to be. We live in reality, not in
fantasy. How often is this simple truth forgotten, or denied by so many?

The secret of successful living is to live in the real world. The secret to finding happiness
is to accept and deal with what is, instead of always desiring for what is not.

There is much in life that we can control, and then there is much more in life that we
cannot. It takes wisdom to discern the difference between the two. Without such
wisdom, life will forever be a struggle, with one striving for that which one will never be
able to attain. This is the recipe for unhappiness and failure.

The laws of nature dictate what is. Heaven has ordained the way life works. Natural
living therefore is the Will and Way of Heaven. Doing what we must, doing what we
should, this is what Heaven expects from us.

The Way of Heaven never contradicts the ways of life and living. Heaven has placed
around us the boundaries and parameters of nature. In these, we thrive. It is only when
one breaches these Heavenly ordained boundaries of safe living that one moves into
dangerous terrain at one’s own peril. One who goes against the Way of Heaven will face
the inevitable consequences of one’s foolish choices. Why would one choose a course as
reckless as this?

Simplicity is the key to contentment. Life was never meant to be a juggling act. Live was meant
for living. Living was designed to be both arduous and at the same time a joy. It is only when we
throw off our yokes of responsibility and obligation that we instead pick up the mantle of pain
and suffering. Yet, most do not want to see this. Most prefer proud blindness rather than
humble sight.

See life as it truly is. Stop fooling yourself with fantasies. Strive to make better what can be
better and let alone that which is best left alone. Often the choice between the two is not yours
to make. Accept this and move on.

Always dream and hope, yet do not become so wrapped up in your dreams that you forget to
wake up and live a real natural life.

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Nature

We human beings can act most unnaturally. Yet, who or what is it that defines what is
natural? Should not nature itself be our guide; for does not the term natural mean
something from nature?

What lessons does nature have to teach us? In what way are we supposed to learn? Is
not this also defined by nature itself? Is not natural to be defined as that what happens
without the intervention of human choice?

When one is hungry, does one need to learn to eat, or will nature not intuitively dictate
to us what to do?

Silence your running mind. Stop thinking so many detached thoughts. Return to your
place of origins and remember what it is to be human. There is innate knowledge within
us that we are born with, a common sense, a conscience. Yet, along comes our racing
minds with its so many thoughts and confuses the most simple of truths and the most
common sense.

That which is natural will in the end survive, for it is what is supposed to be. All that we
build, using the natural as our tools to create the unnatural is by its very nature
destined to ultimately fall apart and break down back to its natural components.

Heaven has ordained what is natural and therefore it shall last forever. Humanity
creates that which is unnatural and therefore like mortal humanity itself the unnatural
will eventually come to its end.

One who knows the difference between Heaven and earth, between the immortal and
mortal, will know life and wisdom and will therefore embrace the natural. That which is
unnatural is as mortal as humanity its creator. Like humanity the unnatural by its very
nature is subject to death. Indeed, by its very nature, that which is mortal is born to die.
Therefore, the mortal lives with death and is death itself.

That which is natural is like the human soul; it is dual in nature. The natural way is at
the same time both simple and complex. It is simple to embrace and follow, whereas it is
most complex and difficult to understand. One who applies one’s mind to understand
will end up confused. One who opens one heart to follow and flow will in the end arrive
safe and secure at the destination of all life.

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The natural way is both hard and soft, both harsh and lenient; all depends upon the
circumstance of the moment. When it is time to be hard it is unnatural to be soft. When
the moment and the place dictate harshness, it is unnatural to be lenient. That which is
unnatural is by definition against the proper way. There are no other criteria to measure
right from wrong, good from bad.

Learn well the way of nature; embrace its harshness and its softness. Know when to be
one and when to be the other. Stray too far from nature because you think too much and
the consequences will be what they will be.

Be soft when you should be hard and hardness will confront you. Be lenient when you
should be harsh and harshness will overcome you. This is the reason why so many
suffer. They pay no attention to the natural way; they make no effort to live life in
accordance to natural truth. Forever they flow against the current of life’s flow; forever
the current crashes them upon the rocky boulders of life’s lessons. This is truly a foolish
course.

A fool has the right to be a fool. Yet, nature will never tolerate the fool. The
consequences of foolishness are both terrible and swift, and rightly so. Life is meant for
the living, those who want to embrace what life is, the force that gives rise to nature.
The fool by walking accordance to his own designs embraces death and death will
certainly embrace him.

This is the natural way of things. It is unavoidable. One may deny it all one wishes, but
in the end, the natural voice will silence all opposition.

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Nullifying Evil Magic

A very interesting story about witchcraft is related in the Gemara (Shabat 81b).

Rav Hisda and Rabah bar Rav Huna are traveling on a boat when they are approached
by a woman who wishes to be seated near them. Sensing something wrong, the two
Sages refuse. In response, the woman utters something under her breath, and suddenly
the boats stops, unable to move forward.

The Sages, aware of the subtle power unleashed here, unleash a force of their own.

Together, they say a word, and the ship suddenly moves again, the power of the woman
was broken. The Sages were faced with a witch using witchcraft, and they responded by
neutralizing her powers by using a holy Name emanating from the Torah.

While the Gemara does not reveal to us what this special holy Name is, one of our later
Sages, the Ba’al Shem Tov (SBST, Mishpatim 5) did. In a moment I will reveal the Name, yet
prior to doing so, it is important that we fist understand some essential aspects about
witchcraft, and about holy Names.

First and foremost, we must understand that our Sages not only believed that the
powers of witchcraft were (and are) real, they were also very much well educated in
ways of Torah that can be used to neutralize it. Our Sages were well versed in the ways
and means of both natural and supernatural laws; they were well versed and
experienced in interacting with inter-dimensional beings, and forces that can be
unleashed from within the hidden recesses of the human mind.

This knowledge is nothing new. Even in Biblical times, the Torah speaks of Bilaam who
had the power to curse the nation of Israel. Now, a curse is far more than just a bad
wish one projects onto another. A curse has an actual power to it that can create the
negative results solicited.

It was for this reason that God Himself intervened, and sent His Angel to prevent Bilaam
from unleashing this very real and negative power.

Other Biblical examples abound. Therefore, anyone who claims to truly accept and
follow Torah must acknowledge the reality and danger of these powers. Although some
later Sages were of the opinion that witchcraft was nothing more than a form of
trickery, most other Sages were not so simplistic.

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Today, most Rabbis follow in the philosophical footsteps of the rationalist school of
Eastern Europe and, therefore, dismiss and distain anything mystical or mysterious.
Not only do these Rabbis dismiss witchcraft as having any significance, they have gone
so far as to dismiss the value and legitimacy of Torah mysticism, the Kabbalah.

Unfortunately this self-imposed ignorance has created a large number of Rabbis who
cannot understand, or deal with, spiritual matters or threats, so much unlike our Sages
of old, who were very much experts in this field.

Although a large number of Rabbis today are unaware of the dangers posed by alternate
spiritual realities, not all our modern day Sages share this ignorance. Those well
trained in the ways of the original Hasidim, and in the ways of the old Sephardic schools
have maintained the ancient knowledge, and use it today with the same efficiency and
success as was in ancient times.

A detailed exposition about how witchcraft and other spiritual forces actually operate in
a technological and psychological way is far beyond what I can present in this present
work. Suffice it to say that these powers exist, and that they definitely pose a serious
threat and danger to us all. Let us not forget that our Torah includes within it all we
need to know, and do about how to combat and neutralize these malevolent forces.

In Pirkei Avot (5:25), the Sage Ben Bag Bag says with regards to the Torah, “Turn it over
again and again for everything is in it.” Torah was never meant to be delegated
exclusively to the realm of religion and philosophy. Torah was meant to be studied and
exposed as being a guide to science and technology, including all the laws of the physics
of the natural, supernatural, and the inner workings of the human mind.

There are numerous forces at work in our natural universe of which modern science
only knows of a few. Every generation modern science becomes more aware of the
subtle forces in which we live. More and more modern science is beginning to sound
like ancient mysticism. In the not-to-distant future, I predict the two paths, the ancient
and the future will intersect and merge, bringing upon us a new dawn of civilization.
After all, this was always the purpose of Torah since the beginning.

Therefore, within Torah there have always existed multiple layers of knowledge just
waiting to be discovered and explored. Many of our Sages of old were very well aware
of these depths of Torah, yet were bound by oaths of secrecy to conceal this knowledge
until such a time when it could be revealed safely, and then only to those select
individuals who could handle it. In every generation there have been Sages well versed
in this secret knowledge. It is they who were (and are) very much on the forefront of

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combating evil in their communities, especially when that evil is disseminating through
the forces of witchcraft and the occult. As Solomon long ago said, “There is nothing new
under the sun.” (Kohelet 1:9).

Rabbi Yisrael ben Eliezer, better known as the Ba’al Shem Tov was one of the last of the
European Sages to be a master of this ancient knowledge. In his day, he fought long and
hard against significant malevolent forces and worked hard to bring the secrets of the
Torah to the masses in a way and format that the majority could understand and
embrace. This was his mission, and the true underlying purpose of the original Hasidic
teachings.

We cannot at this time delve into Hasidic history to discuss how most of the schools
have lost their original connection to this sacred knowledge. Suffice it for now to know
that while most today are unaware of the ancient teachings, this does not mean that the
knowledge has become lost. The teachings are still available, however due to the great
influence of the rationalist school, even most modern Hasidim are unlearned in this
sacred field, and are thus most unqualified to deal with spiritual issues.

Although lost to the majority, the teachings are still well preserved by the minority, and
this group transcends all borders of ethnicity, language and culture. True Sages still
reside amongst the Jewish people, and their identities, like their powers remain a well-
guarded secret.

With all this being said, and the forces of evil being what they are, we can now discuss
one of the teachings of the Ba’al Shem Tov, and learn his comments on the above story
related in the Gemara about how witchcraft is confronted using a holy Name from the
Torah.

The Ba’al Shem Tov comments that the Torah verse itself that condemns one who
practices witchcraft to death contains the secret Name that when used properly can
neutralize the witchcraft itself. The Torah (Ex. 22:17) states, “M’kha’shefa Lo T’hayeh”
(a witch shall not live). One who knows how to recite this verse with the proper intent,
devotion, and meditations shall break the powers of witchcraft.

Regardless of the doubts of skeptics, witchcraft does pose a serious threat to all today,
and its powers have been unleashed upon the masses from sources best left
unmentioned. Nonetheless, in order to provide spiritual protection for those who seek
it, I will now discuss in brief how from this verse can be extracted a powerful holy Name
that when used properly and combined with a lifestyle of holiness and health can
protect one from even the most malevolent of spiritual forces.

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The initial letters (Reshei Tevot) of the three words of this verse are Mem, Lamed and
Tav. These three letters combine to form a holy Name, pronounced with the vowels as
they appear in the verse itself; shva, holam, shva. When this Name is combined with the
Name Havaya (YHWH) written with the vowels of “pituhei hotam,” we have a seven-
letter combination that can be meditated upon, and projected upon a source of evil, the
results being the nullification of that evil.

This then was the secret of the Ba’al Shem Tov. He was master at discovering, and using
these holy forces of Torah knowledge to combat ignorance and evil. He taught his
students well. His teachings survive to this day, and are available to all who wish to
study them in the original Hebrew. The Ba’al Shem Tov is only one of many who have
distributed this sacred knowledge. Other Sages today still invoke Heavenly powers and
are active in protecting the masses. Yet, regardless of whom they are or what they do,
we too can participate in this holy work, even as the Ba’al Shem Tov taught the masses
to do.

The Ba’al Shem Tov taught us about the powers of the human mind. While we cannot
create physical reality around us, we can indeed control our perceptions of it within
ourselves. The great power to overcome any malevolent influence already resides
within us. God has given to each of us this latent power. All we need is the knowledge
of Torah to enable us to recognize it.

A holy Name is not magic, neither for that matter is witchcraft. In reality, there is no
such thing as magic. All there is are technologies of the mind unknown to most people.
These forces are, and have been, known for millennia to those who wish to manipulate
others, and to those who wish to protect others from such manipulations. One who
learns the disciplines and inner workings of the mind will realize these latent powers.
One of good character will use these innate human powers for good, others of lesser
character will use these powers for selfish gains; this is evil.

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The Ba’al Shem Tov, therefore, taught the importance of good character and how by
trusting in God, with childlike simplicity, one can tap these inner powers of the mind
and thus enable them to protect one from any outside source of unconscious influence.
Therefore, the simple initial letters of a verse when combined with God's holy Name
should be enough of a reminder to anyone that God is in charge, and that He has the
power to nullify any force of evil.

Reciting the Name or the letters is not the way this spiritual technology works. This is
why we do not provide a formula, a prayer or an invocation.

Nullifying influences upon the mind is performed by a simple mental exercise; verbal
recitations have little or no power in this regards. What you think matters most. What
you say matters little.

The power of the Torah is so profound; it takes us into the inner most recess of the mind
and at the same time enables us to explore the most outer limits of all reality.

One who learns these lessons well will have embraced the essence of all the secrets of
the Torah regardless of their forms within the teachings of the Kabbalah or Hasidut.

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Patriarch

I am a patriarch. I am the head of my family. Many do not understand what it means to

be a patriarch, there are so many misconceptions. I am a patriarch; let me share with
you what this means.

As patriarch, I am the head of my family. I must ensure the needs and provisions for my
family and household. I carry the weight of my family upon my shoulders. While each
of us has our roles and obligations, my job is to make sure that all under my care can do
what they need to do, to assist them each in their tasks, and to finish off anything that
gets left undone for whatever reasons.

As patriarch, I may be the final authority, true, but this also means that I have final
responsibility. When I make decisions, I must not only take into account the needs and
desires of all my family, I must place them first before my own. Heaven has placed
others into my care, and has charged me to look after them as Heaven looks after me. I
will, therefore, take care of all their needs, physical and emotional, providing for them
as best as I can. Heaven, in turn will look after me.

As patriarch, I have the responsibility to make final decisions. For this, I require
wisdom. True, Heaven grants man wisdom, especially when he has others under his
care. Yet, the patriarch recognizes that the wisdom of Heaven has a special way to it. A
patriarch has a sure source of Heavenly wisdom; it flows from his wife. Every true
patriarch knows that although he is the brains of the operation, this is only so because
of the good, strong woman who stands by his side, and guides his heart.

As patriarch, I must listen and weigh carefully what I hear. I cannot dictate, expecting
others to blindly obey, for every patriarch knows this is the way of war; good for an
army, but bad for a family. As patriarch, I make peace; I seek compromise and do
whatever is necessary to maintain harmony within my household. I do not yell, I do not
bully; I have only to speak with wisdom and authority, and I am heard. The wisdom of
what I speak is apparent to all; therefore, we have agreement of purpose and find a way
to agree in action. If I cannot create agreement, then maybe I am not being
appropriately wise, maybe I need to rethink what it is I am saying.

As patriarch, I must know with wisdom when to be strict, and when to be lenient. I
direct my household with incredible wisdom, patience and kindness. In order to rule
over my house, I must serve. I have found this wisdom the greatest of all. Successful
masters know that true mastery lies in serving, not being served. There can be no

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successful service without wisdom, patience and kindness. Therefore, in order to rule,
the patriarch does not rise up to the top, on the contrary he descends to the very
bottom, and lifts everything up onto his shoulders.

As patriarch, I am guided by Heaven to carry the burden of my household upon my

shoulders, quietly, patiently and without complaint. Only a man with strong broad
shoulders can carry his household. Only a strong man can toil in silence; only a mighty
man can succeed in being a true patriarch.

This then is the secret, in order for a man to be a true man, he must become a patriarch.
He must embrace the character of Heaven. A true man lives to fulfill his obligations and
responsibilities. He does not look away to follow dreams, instead he lives in reality. The
true man recognizes the needs of his family and selflessly works to fulfill them. A true
man feels what others feel, but cannot allow himself the luxury to be swayed by
feelings. He must do what needs to be done.

From the beginning, Heaven has ordained for man to marry and have a family. In having
a family, a man most emulates Heaven; for we are all the family of Heaven. When a man
provides for others as Heaven provides for us, he has become a patriarch, molded in
Supernal Image of the Heavenly Father.

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Perspectives

Throughout the universe, there is light and darkness, great and small, and what we call
good and evil. Throughout the universe, there is progress and regression, movement
and stillness, and what we consider to be success and failure. Throughout the universe,
there is war and peace, ascent and descent, and what we perceive to be building and
destruction.

Throughout the universe there is that which our minds consider, what our heart feels,
what our eyes see, and what our ears hear. Yet, our human perceptions are quite
limited. We never really ever see the whole picture.

We believe that things ought to be a certain way. We believe that there is in life a certain
definition of right and wrong. We believe that we know and understand how things
should be. Yet, convinced as we are as to the correctness of our ways, life and the
universe always seems to follow their own course; one that takes us all along a path
very different from that which we would like to see materialize.

Life in our eyes is precious, yet try as we do to preserve life, death still predominates
and in the end conquers all. Justice is so important in our eyes, yet every day we see
horrible injustices that make no sense. All around us, at every moment, we are
surrounded by life and death, justice and injustice. There seems to be no way of telling
to which we will succumb.

It always appears that there is never any real balance in things. The righteous always
appear to suffer and those who appear to be undeserving always seem to benefit most.
We look to Heaven and demand justice; yet almost always our cries appear to go
unanswered. However much we try to gain, there is always so much loss.

Is the universe indeed imbalanced, or is it possible that our vision does not encompass
the greater picture allowing us to see a greater truth behind things? Does Heaven really
turn a blind eye to injustice, or is there an ultimate accounting and balancing that we
are not privy to?

Let us remember, that in life there is that which is seen, and that which is unseen. In the
mind, there is the conscious and the unconscious. In the universe, there is the visible
and the invisible. If there exists that which is unseen, that which is unconscious and
invisible, how then can we consider what we see to be comprehensive or correct?

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What do we know about what is truly right or wrong, or what is truly good or evil, best
or worst? When we see a young child die we mourn the loss of an innocent. Yet was
this the child who, if he had grown and matured, would have become the next dictator
to have murdered millions, or would he have become the next medical savior finding
the cure to numerous diseases. We will never know.

This is the point. We do not know. What is hidden will always remain hidden; what is
unknowable will always remain unknowable. Until such a time comes that brings
fundamental changes to the way we look at things, the way we perceive the world will
not change.

Life at present is nothing but a mystery that no one can understand or unravel. We are
all subject to fates and forces far beyond our mortal control. There is nothing we can do
to change this. All we can do is to aspire to at least understand this. Only with an
understanding of Higher Truth can we ever expect to understand our world and thus
know how to make it a better place.

If only we cared enough to invest the time to expand our vision. Yet, most do not care,
most are too lazy. What a shame that we do not learn from the mistakes of the past. No
wonder then that we repeat them over and over again. We call ourselves an intelligent
species. I am sure that somewhere there are others who would tend to disagree.

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Proper Pacing

Fast, fast fast, I want to go fast. I want things to move quickly. I want to get to where I am
going, and I want to be quick about it. I want open roads to drive on. I want open lines in
all stores, banks, movies and every place else. I do not want to wait in line. I want things
to move fast, fast, fast!

Patience. It is one of those attributes that very few bother to embrace anymore.
Everyone wants the things that they want right away. No one wants to wait for anything.
We all want everything, and we want everything now, now now.

Instant gratification is the term used today to describe the cravings for having what one
wants, when one wants it. Although many will acknowledge the lack of wisdom in this
foolish pursuit, most will, nonetheless still pursue it, regardless of what they say they
believe about it. The addiction to instant gratification is one of today’s most serious
ailments.

At best we live on earth for about a century. How many centuries have gone by? We run
run run through life, whereas life itself proceeds at its own pace. Landscapes change,
mountains turn into seas, and jungles turn into desert. Everything here on earth does
indeed move, but at its own pace; one that none of us will call fast fast fast.

How fast is fast. How slow is slow. When I move at the speed I want, then I am going
fast. When I have to go slower than what I want then I am going slow.

Fast and slow, who but I can decide what that is for me? Yet, fast and slow by nature’s
definition is drastically different from our own. This would be of no concern to us if we
lived in a world not subject to natural influences. Yet, we do live in such a world and the
pace of life dictates to us our own pace and not the other way around.

While we may wish for things to move fast, they often move slowly. There is always
traffic on the roads and lines in every place. We are always, at one time or another,
waiting for this thing or that person.

We cannot move at the speed of our own desires because there is always something
blocking the way. This is only natural, this is the way of things here on earth and in
Heaven, things are not too different.

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Patience is called a virtue; it is meritorious and wise to embrace. Yet, we do not see the
many that are addicted to patience. All we see are those addicted to instant
gratification.

Until one can change the course and flow of the universe and of life itself, all addiction
to impatience is harmful, wrong and foolish. Yet, who among us listens? Who pays any
attention to the wise way and proper speed of motion?

One who embraces the Way of Heaven knows that life marches on at its own pace. One
who wishes to live in peace with this world, with life itself will heed Heaven’s directions
and move at the pace of life. One will not try to rush ahead or cut in line, for in the end
instead of being placed ahead, one will find that one has been left behind. Instead of
gaining time, one will have lost it.

A thousand years here on earth is but one day in Heaven. Heaven moves with patience
determination. Everything gets done, properly, right and in its time. If we would only
embrace this lesson. Allow nature to take its course, and do what need be done, at the
proper time, at the proper pace. This is spiritual wisdom. This can only come about
when one lifts one’s eyes to Heaven and seeks out the higher ways.

One who does this will come to see and know the Way of Heaven and come to recognize
time for what it truly is. Time is but a servant of God, as are we. When we serve Heaven,
time will serve us. This is simple truth.

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Pushing

A question; how hard can one push before one is pushed back?

Pushing back, is this a choice or a natural outcome of our own actions. Science teaches
that to every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. If this is true in natural law
and the universe, why would it be any less true when applied to human beings?

If one pushes another, is it a choice, or a force of nature, for the other to push back?
Learn now the ways of Heaven and earth.

Human beings are both heavenly souls, and earthly creatures. We combine a unique
dual nature within us. We act and respond in two ways, one way in accordance to
Heaven; one way in accordance to earth. Both ways are inherent within us; both ways
are right and correct, when place in proper balance and harmony.

The laws of nature dictate to us that when we are pushed we are meant to push back.
Yet, when to push and how hard, this is defined not only by our earthly nature but also
by our Heavenly nature. For we human beings are something higher than mere physical
animals. Natural law does dictate and control us, yet we have a say in that control; we
have discretion in applying the Way of Heaven over the ways of the earth.

When it comes time to push back, we have options what to do, and how to do it.
Sometimes we follow natural law and push back with equal and opposite force.
Sometimes, we delay pushing back as directed by the Heavenly wisdom. Sometimes,
however, we must push back with force and vigor, greater and stronger than the
provoking initial push against us.

When we push back, we do not do so as an emotional thing. Pushing must always be

what it is, a natural expression of normal behavior. Only when polarities are in proper
balance can there be harmony and thus peace. One who initiates the push can create
either balance or imbalance. It all depends upon the nature of the push.

Heaven blesses the one who pushes in accordance to the Higher Wisdom. On the
contrary, one here on earth who pushes to forward a human agenda, one in opposition
with Heaven sets in motion a course of action which will lead to horrible consequences
and ruthless realignment. One must never tamper with the universal laws of balance
and polarity.

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In many places today, we have provocative people pushing against natural law in many
different ways. The laws of nature dictate that they themselves are creating the
opposition that will eventually face them and ultimately destroy them. One cannot
create imbalance and get away with it for long. In the end, Heaven does dictate the
course of human events.

When one sees the growth of imbalance, it is wise to remove oneself from the place
where balance is to be restored. Heaven never extends mercy or grace to the one who
ignores the warnings of change.

Do you push, or do you push back? One way or another you are on one of these
universal sides. Choose where you wish to stand, embrace your position and be ready
to face the consequences of your actions, be they for good or for bad.

You cannot stand in the middle. Heaven has not arranged for us a place that is a no
place. Deny what you will, your denials are your choice. The great push is underway.
The great push back is coming. It is ordained by Heaven and will be directed by the
Heavenly hand. Watch closely now, and you will observe a profound exchange of
energies.

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Religion

Religion is supposed to be about God, learning how to commune, how to serve, how to
fulfill our purpose in being human. Yet, when communion with God is lost, so is true
religion. All that remains is but a hollow shell.

Hollow shells look full from the outside but are completely empty from within. A
religion that places all emphasis on the shell, and leaves the insides empty is no religion
at all. Instead of being religion, it becomes oppression. Instead of bringing one closer
to God, the empty shell only serves to separate one from God. This is the illusion of
religion, and not its reality.

We are all spiritual beings in human bodies. We are created in the Image of God. We
have within us the potential to soar to the highest heights of universal achievements, if
only we allow ourselves to do so. Yet, herein lies the greatest of problems. We limit
ourselves because we have forgotten our Divine origins.

We look at ourselves in the mirror and see only flesh; we therefore erroneously
conclude that there is no more to us than what meets the eye. We have forgotten what
it is like to be fully human, created in the Image of God. Religion is supposed to remind
us of this. When religion fails us, we end up failing ourselves.

God is within us, within our very essence, within our souls, within our unconsciousness
minds, within our hearts. Only when we close our physical eyes and cease looking upon
our flesh can we peer inside to see our spirit. God dwells within, therefore, in order to
find the Divine we must search inside ourselves.

True religion therefore must teach us how to look within, how to recognize the Image of
the Divine within us. True religion is not the external learning by rote; rather it is
experience of inner awakening. It is the exploration for and the discovery of the
internal knowledge.

True religion is experienced not as something new, but rather it is felt, as if it is a

knowledge remembered, like something one has always known. True religious
teachings merely guide us to recognize this inherent, internal and universal reality.
Knowing true religion one will experience God. Knowing only the hollow shell one will
believe many things, but in the end, while the head will be full of beliefs, the heart, like
the hollow shell, will remain empty.

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One with a strong shell, and a hollow heart is asleep before God, unaware of the
condition. Can the sleeper awaken? Better to ask whether or not the sleeper cares.
Religion is about experiencing God. Judge for yourself whether you embrace God or an
empty shell. Do you experience? Is your heart full? Are you aware of the Divine
Presence; do you feel it within yourself? Judge for yourself what you embrace. Know
the truth by what you experience, not by what you believe.

In order for the sleeper to awaken, one must first recognize that one is asleep.
Dreaming in one’s sleep one can feel most awake; nonetheless, the dreamer is still
asleep. It is time to stop dreaming about God, and to start experiencing the Divine
Presence for real.

True religion is about being awake and experiencing life. The dreamer only has a
glimpse of this, but knows not the fullness of life. Therefore, in order to truly live, the
sleeper must awaken.

Do you want to awaken? Will you make the efforts to be aroused? Do you care to live,
or do you want to continue dreaming and wasting your life away? Only one who has
awakened and experiences the reality of living in the Divine Presence can be called truly
religious. Sleepers know only the hollow shell of unfulfilled dreams.

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Religion and Culture

Religion begins with an experience of the spiritual. Religion is practiced by following

the ideals and revelations that spirituality reveals. Religion is designed to bring us
closer to Heaven; and at the same time to bring Heaven down to earth. Heaven and
spirituality, therefore, are the focal points and purpose of religious practice.

All spiritual revelations are practiced within the subjective context of one’s present
culture and lifestyle. Revelation comes through the language the individual speaks, and
observances are formatted based upon one’s present environmental context.

However, while a certain culture might be the birthplace of a religion, nonetheless the
initial culture in which the spiritual revelation is practiced is merely a temporary vessel
of convenience. The religious message and purpose is not limited to the cultural
contexts that the people use to express it. Knowledge of Heaven can never be limited by
expression within a single culture.

Environments change, languages change, dress styles change, cultures change; true
spiritually based religion, therefore, adapts to life’s changes. Because the message of
true religion is eternal and immortal, it can be applied and practiced within any
environment, any language, any dress style, and any culture.

Therefore, as times and cultures change, so too must the religious revelation of Heaven
find appropriate ways of expression within each of these changes. Only in this way does
the eternal spiritual message remain clear and relevant in the eyes of the people. One
who knows the spiritual component recognizes the Heavenly ways, and is able to follow
them anywhere, in any culture, at any time.

However, those who loose sight of religion’s spiritual component are only left with the
shell of how the revelation was practiced in a far off culture of a long ago time. Without
direct access to spiritual experience, such individuals mistake the shell of religion for its
true essence. Without true understanding of the eternal spiritual message, those
without direct spiritual insight cling to the shells of culture instead of bonding with the
true spiritual component that transcends all cultures.

Those who lack personal spiritual insight of the initial religious revelation embellish the
shells of religion and build them strong, thinking that these are the proper forms of
religion. Not being able to understand how to adapt the eternal Law of Heaven to the
present, they reinforce the ways of the past, totally ignoring the changes in life that

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Heaven brings forth. They ignore the ways of Heaven proclaiming that they are
safeguarding the Laws of Heaven. This is a clear contradiction that leads to negative
consequences.

Many past associations with religion were actually nothing more than cultural
expressions of that time and place, observed by both religious and non-religious alike.
As living places, languages and cultural norms change, so too do the vessels change
through which the Law of Heaven is practiced on earth. With change comes new faces of
revelation of the old true spiritual component. New ways for new times.

Personal, direct spiritual experience of religion is the Light of life. The cultural form in
which it is practiced is merely its shell. The Light is eternal and does not change. Yet,
the Light flows from one vessel to the next, from culture to culture. As one vessel
becomes old, a new one comes of age.

The cultural norms of the past belong to the past, they have nothing to do with an
immortal and eternal religion. The Light of life belongs to us today, and forever. Yet, in
order for the Light to shine today, it must be in the vessels that exists in the here and
now.

The light becomes dimmed all the while it is left to rot inside an old cracked vessel.
Individuals are actually hindered from reaching the light because of the decrepit state of
old vessels. Light must shine in bright and clean new vessels; in every culture under
every circumstance. Light cannot shine in the past; it can only shine in the present.
Only in this way do we secure the Light of Heaven to shine into the future.

Look not at the vessel, but rather what is in it. Some old vessels need to be discarded.
Not all new vessels are ready to be filled. One who embraces the true spiritual
component within religion will be intuitively guided by Heaven to know where to place
the light in order to let it shine the brightest.

Naturally, the one guided by Heaven runs into fierce opposition from those who cling to
the old shells and worn-out vessels. Being that they have not the light, but only its
receptacle, they cling to what they have, not knowing any better. Yet, there is no life in
an empty shell. There is only life in the light itself.

The Laws of Heaven are eternal. We are to live them in every place and in every time.
Every culture, every language, every dress code becomes a receptacle for the expression
of the spiritual fulfillment of the Divine revelation.

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Those guided by Heaven therefore shine light where it is needed, breaking old vessels
when necessary and using new vessels as they come of age. Only by removing the old
can we make place for the new. Only by removing the dying can we make room or the
living. This is often hard for those who cling to shells, but it is what must be done. The
future awaits us. We can march into it bold and strong, if only we prepare ourselves
today to do so.

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Revelation

Distractions are numerous, yet the most seductive kind is the distraction of the
intellect. This is when one allows one’s mind to become so busy with thoughts, that one
takes no time to silence the mind from thinking, and to open one’s heart to Heaven.
Indeed, one can become so “heavenly minded” that one becomes no earthly good.
Unfortunately, this has become a serious problem with certain type of religious
individuals.

Serving Heaven and being religious have unfortunately become two different things.
Some people believe that because their minds are constantly filled with “heavenly”
thoughts that they are heavenly people. Convinced of their religiosity, all these
“heavenly minded” souls do is just talk and talk about their heavenly ideas, and thus by
doing so, let slip by all the proper and necessary work that Heaven truly requires.

Silence your minds from thinking; stop your contemplations. You are not destined to
figure out that which is hidden; you will never discover that which is concealed. Know
for sure that the forces of Heaven who conceal a thing know very well how to keep it
hidden from prying eyes. No one will discover or uncover anything. If Heaven chooses
to reveal information to an individual, it will come about through other than academic
acquisition. The more you try to grasp by yourself, the less and less will you get.

Patience, silence, preparation; these are the keys to tuning in to the inner Heavenly
broadcast. Indeed, Heaven does speak to us, but not through the cluttered mind.

Therefore, when one allows his mind to be overly academic and to jump from thought
to thought and idea to idea, one cannot slow down enough to hear and receive the soft
silent Voice that speaks the Heavenly truth from beyond the realms and limits of the
intellect.

I look out and see all types of predictions about the future. People turn to scripture and
holy writings and piece together many ideas and words to form what they believe is the
proper form of the puzzle and thus get the answers to the questions they contemplate.
Yet, human intellect is a limited thing. All our endeavors are just not enough to see the
true great picture as it is being released from Heaven.

No matter what we learn, there will always be more that we do not know. No matter
how many holy writings we quote, we cannot make reality and history to unfold in the
way we expect and want it to. Long ago, our wise Sages warned us not to try to predict

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the future, for although certain small things can be foreseen, the greater picture never
will be.

Unless, one is given a revelation from Heaven, the future cannot, and will not be known.
Revelations cannot come to the mind of the one who is constantly engrossed in one’s
thoughts and studies. When Heaven tries to communicate with such an individual, it
receives something akin to a ‘busy signal.” Thus, the busy mind never realizes that its
pursuit of knowledge is exactly what prohibits it from receiving knowledge. Only one of
pure heart and a silent mind will understand these things.

If you have to think about what it is I am saying, then you have already missed the
point. Slow down, close your books, and take time to be silent. Call upon Heaven
through the inner openings of your soul. Heaven will hear your call and answer you.
You will learn more in a single moment of Heavenly revelation than through all the book
learning, thinking and talking. Stop thinking so much, stop trying to analyze and
understand. Just let it be.

Heaven is in charge, not you. You will receive what you are meant to receive when you
are ready for it. Heaven is waiting for you to be ready, ready to receive. In order to
receive, you must first stop yourself from grabbing and taking. Silence, be still, and call
upon Heaven. In the silence will be heard the Voice.

If you are ready to receive then you will. This is how Kabbalah is learned. This is how
the future is known. This is how the concealed is revealed. This is how the unseen is
seen.

Still cannot figure it out, can you? Still trying to take it all in, and analyze and
comprehend? I guess the process of redemption will take longer for some than for
others.

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Righteousness

Everything is in the Hands of Heaven except the fear of Heaven. The fear of Heaven is
not what one feels, but rather it is what one does.

While Heaven speaks to our hearts, in the end, we must choose our actions. While
Heaven arranges the outcome of all circumstances, we must nonetheless contribute our
part, by doing the right things at the right times.

One who sits back and does nothing, expecting Heaven to act, for them and instead of
them, has cut off Heaven’s hands, and assists in thwarting the Divine Plan. All too many
have died waiting for Heaven to act; all too many have died while Heaven waits for us to
act.

Correct behavior is the right thing to do. Therefore, correct behavior is called
righteousness. Righteousness is in our hands to perform. Heaven does not call one
righteous unless one acts with righteous deeds.

It is not enough to declare oneself righteous because one performs rituals of service to
Heaven. Heaven is not impressed by our feeble attempts to please it.

Heaven is impressed when we act righteously, by doing the right things towards one
another, by behaving properly with our fellow human beings.

By doing what is right, in deed, not just in word, this is what Heaven smiles upon.

Some righteous actions require of one a sacrifice. One must give of oneself, of one’s
comfort, of one’s energies in order to perform what might be a difficult although
necessary task. Righteousness does not question such self-sacrifice. On the contrary,
such giving is considered honorable and is performed with great pride and desire.

True fear of Heaven is shown by what one does, by the level of self-sacrifice that one
makes. True fear of Heaven recognizes the non-negotiable value of righteous deeds and
shirks not from performing the most uncomfortable and the most unpleasant of tasks.

Often the fear of our fellow man tempts us to overrule our fear of Heaven. When this
occurs, proper behavior is not performed and immorality and evil run rampant.

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The weak proclaim with a hollow voice their fear of Heaven, yet all the while, they do
nothing substantial to turn the tide in favor of righteousness. This is not the fear of
Heaven but rather the fear of men.

Heaven frowns upon man’s fear of other men, and indeed punishes such weakness by
allowing the fear of others and forces of evil to dominate.

The weakness and hypocrisy of those refusing to do what is necessary shall be their
very undoing. Heaven allows this to happen all because the fear of Heaven is perverted
and instead of righteous deeds being performed, all that is done is the speaking of
hollow words.

The hypocrite is recognized as the one full of many words. The truly righteous is
recognized as the one who says little, but does much.

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The Sabbath

A long time ago in a land and culture very far away, a prophet spoke about the
importance of properly observing the Sabbath day.

Sabbath is a day of rest, but it is more than a mere day off from work, it is a special time,
as the words of the prophet attest. Read the prophet’s words, and let us contemplate
their meanings.

“If you turn away on Shabat from your path, doing your pleasures on my holy day and you
call Shabat pleasurable to sanctify honorable God, and you honor it by not doing your
way, from finding your desire and speaking a thing, then shall you take pleasure in God
and He will ride you upon the high places of the land and give you to eat of the inheritance
of Jacob your father for the mouth of God has spoken.” Isaiah 58:13

Turn away on Shabat from your path – on this one day, you cease being the center of
your own universe, and look outside of yourself to see a greater world.

Doing your pleasures on my holy day – pleasures serve the body, the Sabbath serves the
soul. Only one who recognizes that one has an inner reality alongside one’s outer
reality can withdraw from physical pleasures and pursuits, and focus on what is truly
important. One violates the Sabbath when one over-indulges in eating.

Call Sabbath pleasurable to sanctify honorable God – the pursuit of inner truth and
spiritual enlightenment is the truest source of personal contentment and happiness.
When one discovers this inner self-fulfillment, this gives honor to God, in whose Image
we are created. True Sabbath observance is about providing rest for the soul, there is
no greater rest for the soul than to receive renewed strength from its source within.

Honor it by not doing your way – Honor means showing respect, respect is what you do,
how you act. When you act with relaxation, you honor the Sabbath. One must put aside
all the weekday concepts of proper attire and a rigid schedule. One should dress in the
most casual and comfortable of clothes, and spend the day with family doing non-
strenuous things, leaving nighttime for silent meditation and contemplation of the
greater truths of things.

From finding your desire – Life is good, the universe is generous, just remember that you
are not its center. Sabbath has to be a commitment to relax, to act differently, to force
yourself to think and look at the universe in a different light than what is normally

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done. Withdraw, do not engage. Sit back, do not stand up. Be happy with what you
have, forget about pursuing what you do not.

On Sabbath, the universe does not stop; it is we who must stop, and let the universe go
on by. Not to worry, when Sabbath ends we return to the world in the exact place where
we are meant to be, only now we are refreshed, strengthened, revived, renewed, ready
to take on the universe fresh and use the work week to our benefit and gain. Yes, the
work week is for our gain and so too is the Sabbath.

And speaking a thing – Great rule of the Sabbath: guard your tongue. Do not even speak
about those things unrelated to the moment. Where you think is where you are at.
What you speak reveals your thoughts. Your thoughts and words can take you out of
Sabbath; do not do this. Forget about the past and future; live in the present, in the
moment.

When one properly safeguards the Sabbath within one’s mind and by one’s actions, the
radiant energy of the Sabbath will shine upon you during the weekdays and in turn
safeguard one from mishaps that occur due to one’s own short sightedness.

Note: The proper ritual observance of the Sabbath for Jewish people must be learned
from competent and qualified authorities of Torah. Only when observed properly can a
Jew honor the Sabbath as a commemoration of freedom, and of the Exodus from Egypt.

A Gentile may adopt their own Sabbath, and honor and respect it any way they please in
commemoration of the Sabbath of creation. Sabbath is for everyone. How it is honored
and observed depends upon who you are. The general rule here applies: be who you, be
not who you are not.

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Temperaments 1

Some people naturally have a certain temperament. Some people naturally have certain
talents, and can easily do certain things that others find very hard do to. Some people,
no matter how hard they try, cannot do certain things that others do with such ease.
Why is this?

We have been taught that we are all created equal. Yet, in reality, we see that this is just
wishful thinking. Indeed, we are all born different, each with special talents, and each
with unique limitations. To deny this is the heights of foolishness. To ignore this is
madness, and a sure recipe for disaster. Yet, why is this so?

Over and again, I tell you to stand in awe of the wonders of the universe and the
mysteries of Heaven, but do you listen? Do you pay heed to the most simple and
sublime of truths?

We are all different. No two people are exactly alike, not now, not ever. We have been
endowed with our differences by our Creator. They are not for the sake of dividing us,
but rather to unite us, to make us better as a whole, than as separate individuals. For in
the multitude of peoples, working in harmony, is the honor of their king.

We are each a unique individual. Our differences are what define us. Our uniqueness,
our strengths and weaknesses are what define us. Discovering ourselves, our latent
potentials and limitations is what life is all about. What we discover about ourselves is
what we call our personality. This process of self-discovery is what life is all about.
Everyday we experience matters in life that bring out of us both our best and worst.

Daily life serves as our teacher. We learn about the reality of our world and about the
inner realities of ourselves. Only one who knows oneself can ever know anyone or
anything else. For if one does not know oneself, who is there to do any learning?

Think of it this way, if one wishes to decorate one’s home, is it not important that one
first have a home. If not, what is one decorating? If one wishes to travel in one’s car, is
it not first required that one have a car? One cannot do things with something one does
not have.

One can never learn about oneself if one does not have the most basic of
understandings of who one is, what one likes, what one is good at and where are one’s
natural limitations.

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One who knows oneself well will live life to its fullness being who one is, and not being
who one is not. Truth and honesty are the keys here. Respect and honor for our
differences are vital. Just because we cannot excel in a thing does not mean others
cannot. Just because we find a certain thing hard or impossible does not mean another
cannot do it with relative ease.

Just because we cannot excel in a thing does not make it hard. It is only hard for us and
those like us. Just because we cannot understand certain things, it does not make those
things stupid, irrational or something to be feared or ignored. Fish breathe water, and
we drink water. Which usage is the correct one? Obviously, both!

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Temperaments 2

Some people are naturally intellectuals. Others are naturally intuitive. Both ways of
looking at the world are correct. Yet, seldom do the intellectuals understand or respect
the intuitives. Being that the intellectuals cannot understand a thing with their
intellect, they dismiss the thing out of hand, and dismiss all others who are not of their
unique personality design. This is prejudice, foolishness, and the arrogance of intellect.

Spirit rises above intellect as the Heavens rise above the earth. The intuitive soul is a
spiritual soul, who can explore the inner space of the mind with even greater ease than
the intellectual can explore external natural science. The intuitive can learn by an
entirely different set of rules than that of the intellectual.

The intuitive can learn about life and the universe from the ever-flowing wellsprings of
wisdom that arises from within the depths of ones being. For at the very depths of
one’s being is the place where we touch Heaven. Deep within, beyond the realm and
reaching of intellect does the soul receive the wisdom of Heaven, knowledge of the
universe and experience the Divine.

The intellectual can never know this. His own personal outlook on life is what limits
him. Intellect serves a vital role; it has its essential place. However, this place is not the
place of the spirit. For where the spirit resides the intellect can never enter.

This is just the natural order of things as ordained by Heaven. It explains so many
things. It shows us how those looking outside at the world have such a hard time
looking within. It explains why the intellectual shows distain for the intuitive. For the
intellectual is accustomed to go out, grab and take for himself. He does not know how
to just sit back and wait to receive from the inner wellsprings of knowledge.

As such, the intellectual is a taker, but not a receiver. Being that he has never received;
his intellect teaches him to reject the concept of reception, because it makes no sense to
him. How unfortunate for the intellectual, he grows to such heights only to be
completely limited and surrounded by that which he can never understand through
intellect. Yet, in order to become intuitive would require a change of personality that
only a very few are even capable of making.

Do not concern yourself that things are this way. They are so for a reason. Ours is not
to question why, ours is but to accept the Way of Heaven, and to flow with it. Seek not to
change the world, seek only to change yourselves, to be who you truly are. If you are an

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intellectual, stay that way. Take your hand away from the pursuit of inner intuitive
wisdom; it is not your portion in life.

On the other hand, if you are an intuitive, stop trying to understand intuition, for
intuition does not and will never fit into the mold of making perfect rational sense
within the intellect. Be who you are, and be not who you are not.

Understand now, I have revealed to you why some people excel in the study of
Kabbalah, and why some people never will; and why some people detest Kabbalah
study and cast it off, and dismiss its vital importance.

Heed me now, if you have a Kabbalistic soul, pay no attention to those who dismiss you,
or your pursuits. Respect them for who they are, and recognize their limitations. Let
them serve Heaven as they are supposed to, while you pursue your goals in life to be
who you must be, made in the Image of Heaven, not molded in the image of the
intellectuals.

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Torah & Sage 1

The Way of Torah is most sublime. It is also most misunderstood, even by many who
pledge to uphold it, and teach it. Our nation received the Torah centuries ago; as we
know it came from a place beyond this Earth. That place we now call Heaven, the
source of Torah we call God.

The true nature of Heaven and God are not essential for one to understand in order to
embrace Torah, and to live by its directions.

Torah is more about what we do than what we believe. Torah deals with life, and what
is done with our hands, more so than what is in our heads, and what we think.

Therefore, in order for us to walk the Torah Way, we must understand what Torah
actually is, and what it is not. We must also then come to recognize the role of the
Sages, and how they apply Torah, and direct its expression and observance, fitting it to
the needs of the people and of the times.

This sacred role of the Sage is a natural outgrowth of Torah, and in full meaning and
purpose with the Torah Way. Nonetheless, our Sages are the first to distinguish
between the Torah itself and how they have embellished it. Without knowledge of the
differences between the Torah itself and the edicts of the Sages one will never come to
properly understand either one.

Torah revealed to us the Way of Heaven for our nation to follow here on Earth. These
ways were defined by many different terms, some expressing righteous laws, others
expression moral directives, and still others without any apparent known reason or
logic. Of all the different ways we were told, regardless of what one understands, knows
or believes, these are things that must be done.

Torah is a law to us, even as are the laws of nature. They define our being and mold our
parameters; they define for us the possible and impossible, and thus the permitted and
forbidden. Torah allows and Torah forbids, but not for haphazard or even religious
reasons.

Torah was given to us to show us the natural way, how Heaven is to become manifest
upon Earth. When we follow Torah, we are thereby naturally led to Heaven. Torah
brings heaven down to Earth.

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The Ways of Torah are alive. They are fluid and ever moving, ever changing. As people
change, as life changes, so too does eternal Torah take on new garments to go with the
flow of life. As human consciousness changes so does Torah rise to the occasion and
transform its forms to met humanity in its present place. This fluid nature reveals to us
an aspect of Torah, known to the Sages but unseen to others.

Upon reception, not all the Torah was transcribed to text. Not all the Torah can ever be
written in a book. Words on a page become stagnant things. They represent life but are
not life themselves.

The Torah is alive, and lives not only within the Book, but surrounding it as well.

The Living Torah that surrounds the written text explains the text, outlining its
principles and fundamentals and reveals it inner, discrete and sometimes secret nature.
Only one who knows Living Torah will ever truly understand the written Word.

Without the Living Torah vibrating from the Voice Above, the written word will always
remain a closed text, whose words can be read but never understood.

Torah is a living organism, intelligent, sensitive, vibrant and extremely sensual. While
the written Word can enter into the mind, only the living Torah can enter the heart. It is
in the heart of the Sage where Torah’s life burns and radiates.

The true Sage merges with the Torah, and the Torah with him. This is a merger of
passion, of male and female. By this passion, the living Torah burns in the heart of the
Sage and radiates through his mind, his words and his deeds.

The Sage becomes the living Torah walking among us.

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Torah & Sage 2

The Sage lives among us; he witnesses and partakes of the changes the people
experience. The living Torah within him guides his heart and mind to understanding
the written Word in the way that is proper for the times. In this way is the Sage able to
apply Torah directives and laws to new situations with the self same authority as was in
the beginning.

The living Torah guides the Sage to revelations within the written Word. The Written
Torah and the Living Torah are one; they will always bare witness to one another and
reinforce one another. They can never contradict one another. Any such claim that the
Living Torah would violate or change the written Word is a sure falsehood worthy of
immediate dismissal.

The Sage knows the Way of Torah, for the Living Torah reveals to his heart and mind the
Way of Heaven.

The Sage reveals the Path that we are to follow in order to bring Heaven down to Earth.
This path is where we go and how we live; it is not only a law unto us, rather it is life
itself, it is our nature. We call this path, the way to go. We call it in our language
Halakha.

While one must know the Way of the Sage, it is also imperative to understand the
limitations of the Sage. For the living Torah embraced within the heart and mind of the
Sage only speaks to the moment and to the circumstance. Never does the living Torah
prescribe directives as was in the beginning when Torah was first brought down to
Earth.

The living Torah of the Sage is subjective; it has its applications and its limitations. The
living Torah of the Sage is therefore more often called tradition, in our language Minhag.
And as we say, Minhag B’Yisrael, Torah Hi; the accepted tradition of the people becomes
Torah.

Thus, we find that in different places, at different times, numerous Sages have taught
various things in the Voice of Torah, none of which agrees with one another. Some say a
thing should be done this way, and others say the same thing should be done in an
entirely different way. Many become confused when they are faced with the various
expressions, ways and apparent contradictions of the words of the Sages.

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However, there is no contradiction and certainly no confusion, for those who walk with
simplicity, embrace the living Torah, and know its truth.

The Way of the Sage is to speak living Torah for the moment and place. The Sage is the
first to know and admit this. He always states his views beginning with the words, in
my opinion. Yet, his opinion is not just the thoughts of man, the opinions of the Sage
express the very living Torah within him. Nonetheless, with all the vitality and
authority of the Torah speaking from within him, the Sage knows well, the limitations of
his remarks and directions.

Thus, the Sage speaks to the moment, and the place. Those who come to learn the
words of the Sage must also recognize this subjective nature and enable the living Torah
to flow, from the many mouths to the many circumstances.

Thus, the Sage of here and now can look back upon the words of others Sages distant in
time and space, and hear the Voice of living Torah speaking through them.

Transcending their subjective opinion relative to that time and place, the Sage is able to
extract the true essence of the wisdom of the other Sages and apply it to his moment,
his place and his circumstances. In this way does the Torah live and maintains its
immortality and stability; always fluid but never changing.

The lion has roared, who will not fear. The Voice of Heaven speaks through the mouth
of the Sage of Living Torah, who will not pay heed?

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The Warrior

We are all warriors. Whether or not we like conflict, we are confronted with it every
day in all so many different forms. One who deals with conflict is a warrior, and being
that we each face conflicts in life, we are all warriors.

What makes one live life successfully is the same as what keeps a warrior alive on the
battlefield. One who knows the ways of warfare will, therefore, survive another day to
face the conflicts of tomorrow.

There is only one rule in warfare and conflict in general. One must win. That is it, there
is no more. However, in order to win one must understand what is victory and what is
defeat. These are not defined with such ease.

There is never one set definition for victory or defeat, for every conflict creates its own
circumstances, every battle defines its own rules. Victory and defeat are defined by the
moment, and the circumstance. What is victory in one circumstance may very well be
defeat in another, the opposite of course is also true.

One must become a master warrior, and learn both the arts and science of martial
conflict. For only one with the proper tools will be prepared to use them at the proper
time, in the proper way, therefore elevating one’s chances for victory.

On the battlefield, regardless of its form, the first tool one must learn to use is the power
of the proper focus of mind.

One must recognize that one is indeed a warrior, and the conflict or confrontation
before one is actually a battle. When one conducts one’s business with this marital
orientation one is best suited to address the issues at hand with military proficiency.

Martial confrontation is not about violence, it is about victory, about imposing order
and creating peace. Indeed, the purpose of every honorable battle is the creation of
peace, order and stability. One does not fight in order to destroy, one fights in order to
build.

Life is always full of options, some better than others. There are many ways to
accomplish many goals, some better than others. When all manners of options, ways
and goals compete with one another for dominion, what we have is chaos. There can be
no stability in the presence of chaos.

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The way of righteous war is action to remove chaos, and restore order. Only in unity,
single purpose, and direction can there be progress. The warrior is the agent of order.
The warrior seeks to remove chaos, and impose order for the best of all. The repression
and even annihilation of competing options must not be seen as a moral conflict, but
rather as a moral imperative. Peace and stability must reign supreme; the warrior is the
one who brings this about.

Although conflict is not bad and confrontation is not wrong, nonetheless, violence is not
always necessary. One who has mastered the warrior spirit can establish order and
create peace with the greatest of weapons, the thinking mind and the wise heart.

The greatest warriors are victorious without ever having to raise a hand to fight.
Instead, they master use of the voice and the subtle art of persuasion to direct, educate
and control. Only when the ways of subtlety are proven ineffective will the warrior then
initiate other more imposing steps. The flow from stillness to movement follows the
natural course.

Life confronts us. Every circumstance contains potential conflict. The warrior spirit
knows well the dance of movement through life’s challenges and, therefore, becomes a
master of living.

One who lives the code of the warrior spirit walks in harmony with nature. In doing do,
the warrior comes the know the Living Divine Spirit within. The warrior is thus the
master of life, never the master of death.

The warrior’s dance through life takes him from victory to victory, in all its many forms,
never knowing defeat. For the warrior spirit moves in accordance to the flow of
Heaven. In Heaven there is no such thing as defeat, therefore in the heart of the warrior,
there is no such thing as defeat either.

The warrior surrenders to the Living Divine Spirit, and flows by its ever-changing
course, therefore he is the agent of movement, creating harmony between Heaven and
earth by confronting conflicts and overcoming chaos. There are no questions. There is
no fear.

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Of Women 1

Male and female we are, but only together are we called humanity. Different we are on
the outside, this we all know. Different we also are on the inside; this many do not
understand, and even many more want to deny. Why should something so clear be
something so confusing?

In a toolbox, there are different tools to perform different functions. Hammers are used
to bang nails using brunt force. Screwdrivers are used to turn screws using a focused
force. Although one can hammer in a screw, and one can try to screw in a nail, still both
applications are best done with the tools designed for the specific purpose.

The universe is the toolbox of Heaven. We human beings are the tools. When we are
used in the way in which we were designed we get the specific task accomplished in the
best and most proper way.

If however, we lack knowledge of how to use tools we end up using the wrong tool for
the wrong task, and in the end make a mess instead of an accomplishment. Wrong tools
used in the wrong way create for us more work instead of making our jobs easier. So it
is with tools, so it is with human beings.

We each have our individual personality types. We each have our likes and dislikes. We
each have our ways and natural abilities and limitations. Only when we recognize these
things about ourselves can we realize who we are, what we are, and what kind of tool
we are, designed for what type of job.

Just by looking at a screwdriver one should realize that it was not designed to bang hard
objects. Just by looking at a hammer one should realize that it was not designed to turn
a screw. How is it then that we look upon women (and men) and still do not recognize
the clear natural distinctions between us, and allow each to function in the role that
nature has designed for us?

A woman’s biology is sacred. She is unique in her body in a way that no man, not born a
woman can ever be. Try as many do to imitate, no one but a born woman can truly
become one. Only a woman born can give birth. This makes women closer to Heaven
more than any man. Like the Creator, woman can bring forth life. No man can do this,
no matter how much like a woman he tries to become.

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The inner woman, her psychology, is as sacred and unique as is her body. Men do not
understand the inner thoughts and feelings of women. This is because of the male’s
lack of spiritual insight.

When a man draws close to Heaven, he will understand the unique nature that the
Divine has bestowed upon women. Being that women are closest to the Divine in being
creators, only a man who knows the Creator above can gain insights into the creators
below.

Only a man who knows his Creator in his heart can gain true insight into human nature.
For although both men and women have feelings, passions and intuitive insight; it is
women by nature of their anatomy, that enables these traits to more easily ascend to the
surface of consciousness, and serve as guides to penetrate the mysteries of the
universe.

It is simple genetics; Heaven has designed women, more than men, to be sensitive and
receptive to the Supernal Image. This is why men have such a hard time understanding
women, (and often why women have a hard time understanding themselves).

When a woman stops listening to the external voices of men telling her what is logical,
how she should act, how she should appear and what she should do, she can then
become quite within and hear the inner Voice of Heaven speaking within her heart,
guiding her to be above all else, a woman created to be a creator, formed in the Image of
God.

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Of Women 2

In the beginning, God created time and placed the cycles of stars and planets to measure
it. Time measures the flow of movement, and the changes from life to death, and from
death to life. This universal constant was placed within the body of women.

The woman manifests the Divine clock on earth. Her body keeps measure of the flow of
time. She needs no external reminder to demarcate hours and days; her genetics know;
it is built into her by natural design.

We live in and are limited to a world of three-dimensional physical space. Time is the
one dimension that transcends them all. A man does not naturally know of this
transcendence and, therefore, thinks within the parameters and confines of space.

Women know time within their bodies; as such, they can think beyond the box of
physical space, and can peer into the great surrounding sphere that encompasses our
physical finite world.

Life and death are given to us by the Creator. While both men and women can create
death, only women can create life. Although men have the seed, women are the fertile
ground in which the seed grows, is nourished, and eventually produces offspring. No
man can ever do this. This is the sole domain of one who is born a woman.

Women bring forth life, but their bodies also bring forth death. In the natural cycle, as
the moon revolves around the earth, waxing and waning, so too does the body of
woman create life and then destroy it, only to repeat the process over and over. As the
moon is reborn, grows to fullness and then diminishes to nothing, only to be reborn
again, so too does the body of woman cycle through life and death.

The sacred cycle enables a woman to know within her body and psyche the very nature
of the universe itself. Through her flesh, she can become aware of many movements
and flows in society and the universe at large. The natural cycle is sacred; women of
wisdom respect it and honor its passage.

Only women who think like men, who are distant from their own identities, look upon
the cycle within their bodies as a nuisance, or an inconvenience. Such women try to live
as men in what they perceive to be a man’s world. Unfortunately, herein is a great
problem, a great deception.

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It is a man’s world, some say. This is indeed true; however, its truth only extends upon
the men. It is not a man’s world for women. For women it is a women’s world. The
problem is when women try to live in the man’s world following the ways and rules of
men. This is the cause of great confusion and imbalance in human society.

It is not natural for men to be women; it is most unnatural for woman to behave like or
even think like men.

What is woman is a knowledge held deep within the feminine psyche. No man detached
from Heaven will ever be able to fathom this. Women must be like women, and
remember their source of knowledge does not come from the physical outside world as
it does with men. Women gather knowledge from within, from their intuitive nature,
from their natural connection with time, which transcends physical space. Women can
pierce the veil of time naturally, and thus see beyond the limits of finite physical space.
No man disconnected from Heaven can even come close to this.

Only a woman born a woman, and who lives as a woman in a woman’s world can know
what is the fullness of womanhood, as ordained by nature, and by Heaven itself.

Woman, be who you are; only then will you see and know the universe for what it truly
is. No man, or manly ways, can provide for you this insight.

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The Way of Grandfather Tiger

A long long time ago, before man walked the earth, in a land very very far away, on the
other side of Eden, there was born a baby tiger. Baby tiger was born in the ancient
forest high up in the mountains just beneath where the trees end and the snow begins.

In those long ago days there was not much for baby tiger to do other than to play with
his siblings and to enjoy life. In those days of innocence all of baby tiger’s needs were
provided for by his parents, mother and father tiger. Baby tiger never knew of
hunger, or cold or want; all he wanted, was always there, whatever he desired he never
had to wait for. Life was good for baby tiger.

Years past and baby tiger saw that he was no longer was so small; he was growing up.
Mother and father tiger had other smaller baby tigers and just like him, these babies
had their every need met. All their wants and desires were provided for even before
they could ever ask. The now young tiger saw that mother and father tiger did not
have as much time for him as they once did. Life was still good and young tiger had all
the time he wanted to play and to frolic with his siblings. Yet, he quickly learned that
there were new things that he wanted that his parents could not or did not provide for
him.

Young tiger had developed a craving to hunt. As he grew in size, so did his appetite.
He would roar for his supper, yet instead of bringing it to him right away, mother tiger
said to him, that he would have to join the hunt with his older brothers from now on.
Only by catching his own prey would he ever
have enough to fill his ever-growing belly.

At first young tiger felt resentful. All his life

mother tiger was there to fill his every need.
Now, she had told him that he would have to go
out with his father and brothers and hunt for
his supper. Now, hunting was nothing new for
young tiger, he had gone forth with his father
and brothers many a time. Yet, this now was
different.

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In the past, the hunt was still a time to play, to frolic in the snow, to play hide and
seek, and to have fun. Now the hunt was no longer a game, now he had to do something
new, he had to become serious. This was a new and uncomfortable feeling for him, yet,
young tiger knew that this was something expected of him and that this was how young
tiger was to become strong tiger.

And strong tiger he did become.

Young tiger learned quickly and
well the way of the hunt. He
learned focus and cunning. He
learned how to sneak up on his
prey, how to be still when
necessary and how to, in a
moment, burst from absolute
stillness into blinding speed. He
mastered the art of silence and
the time to roar with victory.
Yes, young tiger was growing up.
He had become strong; he had
mastered many of the skills for which tigers are famous. Yet, strong as he was, he had
not yet mastered the greatest of skills, which would earn him the name of mighty
tiger. In order to accomplish this, strong tiger would have to leave his home and his
family, take a mate and start his own family. Strong tiger had to become a father
tiger. Only in this way would he become mighty.

And mighty tiger did he become. He found for himself a beautiful tigress that
consented with great desire and love to become his wife. Soon they had baby tigers of
their own. Now, mighty tiger was busy all the day, on the hunt, providing for his babies
all they could want, before they could ever ask for anything. Mighty tiger would take
his older boys along with him on the hunt and while they frolicked and played, he
taught them when it was time to be serious and how they would have to eventually fend
for themselves, even as he himself had learned not so long ago.

And so the children of mighty tiger grew and themselves became young and strong.
They learned well the way of the hunt and the need to provide for themselves. The
young tigers grew in strength and father tiger, mighty as he was, now acquired an even

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greater attribute, he acquired wisdom. Mighty father tiger was now wise father tiger
and his children each grew and became mighty father tigers of their own cubs.

Wise father tiger was now Grandfather Tiger. And as mighty as he still was, his might
was now measured by his wisdom; he was master of the hunt and all knowing in the ways
of the tiger. With blinding brilliance he could hunt and provide for his children and
grandchildren with such ease, that his movements appeared effortless. Yet, wise
Grandfather Tiger taught his family well. Learn from me, my children, and know that
my skills are by no means, effortless.
Although I am guided by Heaven and blessed
by the power above with the wisdom of
grandfathers, the beginning of wisdom is to
know, that while life is given as a free gift, it
is maintained only by constant effort on our
parts.

At night, after the hunt, after the bellies of

the babies and young tigers were filled, all
the tigers would gather around together and
cuddle close. Grandfather Tiger taught this
to his children and family, even as he learned
it from his mother and father. Stay
together and stay warm, he told everyone.
Each one alone cannot warm oneself, yet
when together we can provide warmth to
each other. This is the secret of our
survival.

On those long cold winter nights, cuddled together for warmth and security,
Grandfather Tiger would tell his children and grandchildren of the days when he was a
child like them and how he grew and learned to become mighty and wise. The
younglings each listened and learned. They took in Grandfather Tiger’s words like
drinking water on a hot summer’s day. Indeed, Grandfather’s wisdom was as refreshing
and life giving as the pure rivers waters they knew so well.

No tiger can live alone and no tiger can hunt in a pack. There is a time for solitude and
there is a time for family. No tiger can have everything provided for him forever.

61
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for Biblical, Judaic & Spiritual Studies

www.koshertorah.com
email. [email protected]
Ariel Bar Tzadok, Director, Rabbi

There is a time to hunt and there is a time to play. There is a time to frolic and there
is a time to eat. Wise tigers must know and understand the secret of the times and we
must flow with the course of nature.

When we live in communion with

time and do what we are supposed
to do, when we are supposed to do
it, Heaven smiles upon us and the
life of the tiger becomes full and
appears effortless. Yet, beware,
for appearances can be deceiving.
For what looks effortless indeed
only comes about after years of
experience.

The hunt is no fun and games, it is

serious business. Indeed, the hunt
is life itself. In order for us to live, our prey must die. This is the Way and Will of
Heaven. It is our way to flow in the Ways of Heaven. In this way, we live and thrive
and our babies know no wants and all tummies are full.

We are warm on winter nights and sleep with fullness and peace. Yet, we must always
be diligent and never allow ourselves to grow complacent and weak. The hunt requires
of us to be ever alert and ready. We must master the skills of stealth. We must learn
to be silent in the midst of noise and invisible even when
we can be seen. We must learn to shift from absolute
stillness to absolute speed in the blink of an eye. We
must transcend from play mode to kill mode without a
moment’s hesitance.

The mighty tiger is recognized and stands out from the

young. He is known by his eyes. The eyes of the mighty
tiger project focus, intensity and discipline. The mighty
tiger embraces the meaning of being fierce. Being
fierce is defined by the eye of the tiger. Yet, being
fierce is only for the moment. When the hunt is finished
and the kill has been made, it is time to relax, to eat, to

62
Copyright © 1993-2019 by Ariel Bar Tzadok. All rights reserved.
KosherTorah School
for Biblical, Judaic & Spiritual Studies

www.koshertorah.com
email. [email protected]
Ariel Bar Tzadok, Director, Rabbi

provide for the family, then sit back, and enjoy the moment with one’s children and
grandchildren.

It is at these moments that Grandfather Tiger shines with the wisdom of Heaven. For
although he is master of the earth, Grandfather Tiger knows well the ways of Heaven.
He lives by them and teaches them faithfully and well to the younger generations.
They in turn grow strong, mighty and wise. In time, they will become the grandfathers.

And Grandfather Tiger, when his time

comes, will go to his place of rest. He
will ascend to Heaven and there reside
with the tigers of old that came before
him, and there frolic anew, with the
tiger's most ancient of friends, the
dragons.

Tigers and dragons complete the great

cycle of creation. Yet, no tiger is a
dragon and no dragon is a tiger. They
meet at that place where the Earth
touches the sky, at that place above the trees where the mountains meet the clouds.
The dragons rule the skies and the tigers rule the earth.

Be fierce as the tiger an ancient Sage once taught us,

and learn from Grandfather Tiger the ways and
movements of all life under Heaven. For when the baby
tigers grow up and walks in the ancient ways, as
ordained by Heaven itself, they become strong, mighty
and wise, even as they are destined to be.

This is the wisdom that Grandfather Tiger bestows

upon his children; they drink it up like the very precious
waters of life itself.

Wisdom of living is what defines the Tiger,

knowing the ways of Heaven
and successfully bringing them down to Earth.

63
Copyright © 1993-2019 by Ariel Bar Tzadok. All rights reserved.
KosherTorah School
for Biblical, Judaic & Spiritual Studies

www.koshertorah.com
email. [email protected]
Ariel Bar Tzadok, Director, Rabbi

64
Copyright © 1993-2019 by Ariel Bar Tzadok. All rights reserved.