This Week's New
INNER SPARK
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The
closer one approaches the heart of Torah, the more one experiences God's
oneness and His desire that we do all in our power to promote unity and
peace in His world.
An excerpt from
Rabbi Ginsburgh's book: "Awakening
the Spark Within"
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Previous
INNER SPARKS
Experiencing
continuous re-creation from an infinite, all-knowing Creator rectifies one's
ego and cultivates leadership qualities in one's soul.
The
test of a real leader, or any individual, is to know how to steadfastly
guard moral and ethical principles while still maintaining the flexibility
to facilitate compromise and conciliation.
An excerpt from
Rabbi Ginsburgh's book: "Awakening
the Spark Within"
Honor
eludes one who aggressively pursues it and crowns the one who does his best
to avoid the illusionary trappings of power.
An excerpt from
Rabbi Ginsburgh's book: "Awakening
the Spark Within"
When speech and ego are purified through
prayer, compassion and commitment are awakened from on high, as well as from
within, to bring salvation to the world. An excerpt from
Rabbi Ginsburgh's book: "Awakening
the Spark Within"
The
more one rectifies his ego, the more he empowers his soul.
An excerpt from
Rabbi Ginsburgh's book: "Awakening
the Spark Within"
The
inability to express oneself represents exile, while free flowing expression
represents the essence of redemption.
An excerpt from
Rabbi Ginsburgh's book: "Awakening
the Spark Within"
Gratitude
to God for all the manifold blessings experienced in the present moment
rests on one's ability to achieve "separation" of the mind and
heart from the anxiety of yesterday and the uncertainty of tomorrow, feeling
instead God's Presence and Divine assistance in the present moment. An excerpt from
Rabbi Ginsburgh's book: "Awakening
the Spark Within"
Leadership
is not the exclusive realm of the elite or powerful, but rather is a virtue
to be developed and expressed by everyone in all facets of life.
An excerpt from
Rabbi Ginsburgh's book: "Awakening
the Spark Within"
By
seeing the good in everything, we empower the good to overcome the evil.
An excerpt from
Rabbi Ginsburgh's book: "Transforming
Darkness into Light"
God
wants our lives to be both disciplined and inspired, regular and spontaneous.
An excerpt from
Rabbi Ginsburgh's book: "Transforming
Darkness into Light"
In
the majority of cases, evil succeeds because we delude ourselves into
thinking that it is in our best interest to succumb to its
temptations.
An excerpt from
Rabbi Ginsburgh's book: "Transforming
Darkness into Light"
The
messianic call to face evil and transform it into good requires, first and
foremost, the ability to overcome our negative fears and phobias.
An excerpt from
Rabbi Ginsburgh's book: "Transforming
Darkness into Light"
Entering
the atmosphere of the Land of Israel is entering Divine space, a space
encompassing us from all sides, a space conducive of Divine inspiration.
An
excerpt from Rabbi Ginsburgh’s book, "Living
in Divine Space."
Abraham,
the man of love, always journeyed southward. All of life's journeys, as the
journeys of the first Jew, Abraham, are directed southward, to love.
An
excerpt from Rabbi Ginsburgh’s book, "Living
in Divine Space."
The experience of talking teaches us--even if
subliminally--that we are not alone in life, but are enveloped by God's
presence and mercy. Talking implies a listener, and the most sensitive and
understanding listener is, of course, God Himself. An
excerpt from Rabbi Ginsburgh’s book, "The Mystery of Marriage."
When one is aware of his own lowliness, one no
longer makes demands on others or expects anything from them; he knows that
he deserves nothing. An
excerpt from Rabbi Ginsburgh’s book, "The Mystery of Marriage."
Just as nature abhors a vacuum, the mind cannot
remain empty. If it is not filled with holy thoughts, it will be filled with
unholy ones. An
excerpt from Rabbi Ginsburgh’s book, "The Mystery of Marriage."
The
very awareness of our own great worth paradoxically makes us painfully aware
of how dismally we betray it. An
excerpt from Rabbi Ginsburgh’s book, "The Mystery of Marriage."
Transcending
the ego to cultivate modesty is an expression of the highest super-conscious
level of the soul.
An
excerpt from Rabbi Ginsburgh’s book, "The Mystery of Marriage."
Once
all the superficial aspects of selfhood have been neutralized, the true
Divine self--one's soul essence--can be revealed.
An
excerpt from Rabbi Ginsburgh’s book, "The Mystery of Marriage."
There
is no empty space, no absolute vacuum; all created space is, and is no more
than, a place for creation, and indeed, something is created in every point
of space. An excerpt from
Rabbi Ginsburgh's book: "Living
in Divine Space"
When we remember that all things come from G-d,
and are therefore ipso facto absolutely good, all things
become equal to us. An excerpt from
Rabbi Ginsburgh's book: "Living
in Divine Space"
The ideal state of spiritual equilibrium in the
heart is one of crying on one side of the heart and being joyful on the
other side of the heart. Experiencing our existential distance from G-d, we
cry; experiencing coming close to Him, we are filled with joy.
An excerpt from
Rabbi Ginsburgh's book: "Living
in Divine Space"
Whether
experienced as good or bad, all derives from God's goodness and mercy, which
if not revealed to us now, will become revealed in the future.
An excerpt from
Rabbi Ginsburgh's book: "Living
in Divine Space"
In his last words to his young son, the Ba'al
Shem Tov's father, Rabbi Eliezer, told him, "Yisrolik, fear nothing and
no one other than God Himself." From that day on, the Ba'al Shem Tov
feared nothing but God. He walked fearlessly in the depths of the forest at
all hours of day and night, fearing no creature or force, whether spiritual
or physical. An excerpt from
Rabbi Ginsburgh's book: "Transforming
Darkness into Light"
Before
the Ba'al Shem Tov passed away, his disciples asked him by what criteria
they should choose a successor. He told them that they should ask each
prospective candidate how to overcome the ego. If he offered a definitive
antidote, this was a sure sign that he was not the one. An excerpt from
Rabbi Ginsburgh's book: "Transforming
Darkness into Light"
A
disciple of Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi once complained to him that he had
lost most of his wealth. He could no longer provide for himself; worst of
all, he could no longer fulfill his many charitable obligations. The rabbi
chastised him saying, "You have described what you need, but you
have said nothing about what you are needed
for!"
An excerpt from
Rabbi Ginsburgh's book: "Transforming
Darkness into Light"
Rabbi Dovber of Mezrich was once asked whether
it is best to begin the process of self-refinement by contemplating the
greatness of God or the smallness of man. Rabbi Dovber answered that in
earlier generations it was possible (and preferable) to begin with the
smallness of man, but in our times it is better to begin with the greatness
of God. An excerpt from
Rabbi Ginsburgh's book: "Transforming
Darkness into Light"
The sages of the Kabbalah were highly critical of melancholy, but at
the same time, they did not advise us to ignore our faults in order to avoid
feeling badly about them. Rather, they encouraged us to be constantly aware
of God's infinite mercy and His continuous presence with us. In this way, we
can face our faults fearlessly and securely, never falling into despair.
An excerpt from
Rabbi Ginsburgh's book: "Transforming
Darkness into Light"
The
Torah identifies the power of speech as the quintessential expression of
humanity. Even though our ability to think is far superior to that of the
other forms of life, what defines us as uniquely human is our ability to
articulate our thoughts and feelings to other human beings. This is because
even more than thought, speech has the power to reveal the hidden depths of
the soul. An excerpt from
Rabbi Ginsburgh's book: "Transforming
Darkness into Light"
Egocentricity
and belief in G-d are mutually exclusive. When egocentricity overtakes our
consciousness, our professed belief in G-d may be nothing other than a
psychological means of having someone to blame for whatever is going wrong
in our lives.
An excerpt from
Rabbi Ginsburgh's book: "Transforming
Darkness into Light"
Ours
is the generation of the ultimate and final Redemption, which will signal
the annihilation of evil and the transformation of its inner core into
goodness. Therefore, we are now called upon to participate in this process,
and have been given the power to do so. We must become experts in the
transformation of evil into good, even the kind of evil that it was once
better to suppress or ignore. An excerpt from
Rabbi Ginsburgh's book: "Transforming
Darkness into Light"
The
great Hassidic master, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev, teaches that on Shabbat
Chazon--"the Shabbat of Vision" which precedes the 9th
of Av (this year it falls on Aug 7), the day of national mourning
over the destruction of the First and Second Temples--every Jew is
(consciously or unconsciously) shown a complete vision of the fully
constructed Third Temple. An excerpt from
Rabbi Ginsburgh's book: "Rectifying the State of
Israel"
To live in a Messiah-oriented state of consciousness, the state of
consciousness necessary to begin the rectification process, we must--no
matter what--be happy and we must make others happy. Joy, together with
humble thanksgiving for even the smallest successful accomplishment, is the
source of the soul's power to effect changes in reality. With joy, even the
hardest task becomes easy. An excerpt from
Rabbi Ginsburgh's book: "Rectifying the State of
Israel"
The
Torah gives direction and meaning to life, and though it does not guarantee
ease and comfort, it does ensure that life's inevitable struggles and trials
are for a constructive purpose. The secrets of the Torah, when deeply
integrated, help alleviate and sweeten the suffering all around us. An excerpt from
Rabbi Ginsburgh's book: "Awakening
the Spark Within"
We
are taught to accept that "all is for the good" and that God is
perfect, implying that all is exactly as it should be. On the other hand, it
is clear that due to man's free will, the world situation--at least from a
superficial view--is less a reflection of God's perfection than of man's
accumulated imperfections. More than just accepting the world as it is, we
are commanded in the Torah and implored by the sages and prophets to become
partners with God in rectifying and elevating the world. An excerpt from
Rabbi Ginsburgh's book: "Awakening
the Spark Within"
Although in this world the Torah appears to
mirror reality, only when we ascend to the second level of Messianic
consciousness, when physical reality begins to transform, will we become
aware that the truth is quite the opposite – nature is a reflection of the
Torah, which is, in the deepest sense, a blueprint for all creation. An excerpt from
Rabbi Ginsburgh's book: "Awakening
the Spark Within"
It
is difficult for most people to pay attention to the intentions motivating
(and therefore determining the quality of) an action while engaged in the
action itself. This is true with regard to the performance of all mitzvot
("commandments"), and for that reason we are taught that the
time to concentrate on the meaning one wishes to infuse into a mitzvah is
before beginning it. An
excerpt from Rabbi Ginsburgh’s book, "The Mystery of Marriage."
At
present, the inner world of mind and heart vibrates mostly with static and
psychic disturbance. In the future Messianic age, we will begin to tune into
more and more dimensions of reality, without the accustomed static
interference. People will be simply content, and this transitional time will
be marked by a lack of the suffering so much identified with worldly
existence. An excerpt from
Rabbi Ginsburgh's book: "Awakening
the Spark Within"
Whenever
G-d reveals Himself in this world, it is in order to elevate the world to a
higher plane of spirituality, to coax us out of our materialism and
"capture" us for His own. By doing mitzvot in this world,
we, in turn, are trying to "capture" G-d, so to speak, and reveal
His Presence here. An
excerpt from Rabbi Ginsburgh’s book, "The Mystery of Marriage."
The
essence of Jewish faith focuses on the eternal truth of the Torah that G-d
gave His people Israel at Mt. Sinai. G-d gave the whole Torah to the whole
people in order for them to proceed in their exodus from the physical, as
well as spiritual bondage of Egypt toward the Promised Land, the whole
Land of Israel, to fulfill there all the 613 commandments of the
Torah and thus to realize in full their own essential wholeness.
An excerpt from
Rabbi Ginsburgh's book: "Rectifying the State of
Israel"
Every
Jewish habitation in Israel is a point of union with the land, expressing
the deepest love of the people to the land, a love of groom to bride. Our
first aim is thus to populate the country with numerous, contiguous points
of settlement, in keeping with the esoteric meaning of the verse in the Song
of Songs: "His interior is inlaid with the love of the daughters of
Jerusalem." "His interior" alludes to the interior of the
entire Land of Israel, and every Jewish settlement in Israel is
metaphorically referred to as "a daughter of Jerusalem." Each
settlement is a point of love, a point of union between the people and the
land.
An excerpt from
Rabbi Ginsburgh's book: "Rectifying the State of
Israel"
True
patience is based on the awareness that G-d is ever present in one's life
and is influencing the outcome of one's endeavors. One thus feels G-d
working in and through him, and at the same time, orchestrating events from
without. The balanced condition that such an awareness inspires is referred
to by the Ba'al Shem Tov as "deliberate agility. " An
excerpt from Rabbi Ginsburgh’s book, "The Mystery of Marriage."
In
Kabbalah, we are taught that the path from Passover to Shavuot--from
redemption to revelation--is a process of spiritual growth, in which we
rectify the seven emotions of the heart--love,
fear, mercy, confidence, sincerity, devotion, and humility.
To rectify the heart, every emotion must learn to take all its
sister-emotions into consideration--to
identify and experience all of the seven. This gives us
a total of forty-nine stages of inter-inclusion. On each of the forty-nine
days from Passover to Shavuot, as we "count the Omer," we rectify an
individual aspect of our emotional makeup.
An excerpt from
Rabbi Ginsburgh's book: "Rectifying the State of
Israel"
Of all the teachings received from the
Ba'al Shem Tov, perhaps none are as important or essential as the notion
that the Jewish soul "is an actual portion of God above," and that
a spark of Messiah is contained within each individual soul. An excerpt from
Rabbi Ginsburgh's book: "Awakening
the Spark Within"
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The material
contained on this site has been prepared by
Gal Einai Institute
a non-profit organization dedicated to disseminating and implementing the inner wisdom of
Torah -- Kabbalah and Chassidut |
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