Four Elements

Question: I recently attended a class in Kabbalah and Chassidic Thought. The rabbi was talking about the "four elements"--earth, water, air and fire--as they are found in the human soul. I recognize this idea from ancient Greek and medieval philosophy, bu...

In the previous chapter, the Rebbe Rashab explained that there are two approaches to division: one that leads to strife and separation and a second that makes possible a comprehensive state of unity. He develops this concept further in the chapter that fo...

When G‑d created the world, He used four basic building blocks: Fire, air, water and earth. Sefer Yetzirah, Ch. 3 Some have postulated that these building blocks correspond to the four states of matter: solid, liquid, gas and pure energy. Others hypothesi...

The main purpose of the essence of the intellect, to change the nature of the emotions.

Question: Why is there a ritual way of slaughtering and preparing all kosher animals except for fish? Answer: When the Jews were in the desert and started complaining about the lack of meat, Moses turned to G‑d saying, “If sheep and cattle were slaughtere...

“The L‑rd said to Moses: Speak to the Kohanim, the sons of Aaron, and say to them . . .” (Leviticus 21:1) What is the difference between “speak to them” and “say to them”? In Hebrew these two words are “emor” and “amarta”—the first is spelled aleph-mem-re...

The three intellectual faculties

How the sefirot manifest in the G-dly soul