To do justice to this work – it would take me years to properly review this book. But let me say this in brief: Forgetting the arcane language barrier issues that stops the average reader from being able to actually grapple with the subtleties of the ideas presented. This book fails not because it lacks…»
“Come my beloved to meet/ see the bride, let us welcome the face of the shabbos.’ And the Rebbe MHM in his maamar ‘Lecha Dodi’, which itself is an explanation and commentary on the first paragraph of the Previous Rebbe Maamar of the same title – elucidates the deeper meaning of the above verse, and…»
My wife and I had been blessed with a baby boy, and almost from conception we chose to follow a particular baby expert’s advice. We bought all the books, followed her advice meticulously. The promise was that by three months he would be sleeping from about 12-7am. Her schedules dictated every minute of the day…»
All Watched Over by Machines of Loving Grace I like to think (and sooner the better!) Of a cybernetic meadow Where mammals and computers Live together in mutually Programming harmony Like pure water Touching clear sky. I like to think (right now please!) Of a cybernetic forest, Filled with pines and electronics Where deer stroll…»
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Rabbi Max is Manchester’s Only Cool Spiritual Rabbi
The Campaign For Moshiach Consciousness Presents THE REDEMPTION HAGGADAH Guidelines, Rituals, Sources and Insights Inspired by Moshiach Consciousness. Written by Rabbi Max Ariel Kohanzad Introduction The Redemption from Egypt is a Blueprint for the Ultimate Redemption The Passover Haggadah is like a Practical Messianic Manifesto, invented by Messianic Kabbalists for Messianic Kabbalists. The narrative…»
In the weeks Torah reading of Tzav, we learn even more about the varied bizarre sacrifices in the Mishcan. One of them that caught my eye, was about braking unleavened bread and throwing it into a vat of boiling oil, this somehow creates a pleasing aroma to God? As it turns out this Matza brei must…»
This weeks reading we start a new book of the Torah, VaYikra, and it talks a lot about the details of the animal sacrifices. There is a slightly puzzling phrase at the beginning of the chapter which says “korban yakriv mi’kem” literally a “sacrifice bring from you”. The Hassidic masters jump on this verse and…»
In the Torah readings of Va’Yakhel & Pekudi, Moses gathered the Israelites, the sages say that this took place the day after Yom Kippur. Later on it describes the detailed building of the Tabernacle by members of the community who’s hearts were inspired with wisdom. The mystics suggest that gathering of all the different members…»
In this weeks Torah reading, Moses is told to collect half a Shekel from each man over the age of twenty. The Midrash says that Moses didn’t know what God meant by ‘Half a Shekel’ so God showed Moses a burning Half a Shekel alight in fiery flames. Then Moses understood what it was. To…»
This weeks upcoming Torah reading, starts with God telling Moses; “And You shall command the Children of Israel and they shall take unto you pure pressed Olive Oil to be a source of light to illuminate [the] everlasting flame.” The next verses explains that Aaron and his sons will arrange the gathering of the oil…»
How many hipster accountants and solicitors have you come across? Probably less than the Medical Doctors you know who prescribe homeopathic remedies? Or Barristers or top Civil Servants who are also artists or that can dance to Hip Hop, Rap or 70′s funk without looking like Mr Bean? Years of a particular style of training,…»
In this weeks Torah reading, God says “Make for Me a Sanctuary and I will dwell in (amongst) them.” There are, or course, a number grammatical problems with the verse, all of which I’m not going to get into here, but what I will point out is the obvious problem, which is, God says make…»
The Zohar states, “Yisrael, Orita Ve Kudsha-Brich-hu kulu Echad” Israel (the people), Torah & the Holy One are all One. The Bible explicitly commands us to Love God, the Talmud states that the basis for all the Torah is love of our fellow Jew. Elsewhere in the Talmud there is a serious argument of what…»
This weeks reading, is full of do’s and don’ts, in fact a vast amount of it is picked up by the Talmud, who spend hundreds of years arguing over the nuances of these passages. Judaisms’ current stultifyingly boring legalistic focus is in part due to the existence of this weeks chapter. After the revelation of…»
It’s said that the main emphasis or focus/ service in Judaism is represented by Kiddush. Simply put, Judaism (at least from the perspective of Lurianic Kabbalah and Hasidism) is interested in bringing the world into the camp of the Holy. Therefore, the service of Havdalah which focuses on, and emotionally invests in separating and making…»
This weeks Torah reading of BeShalach, is just amazing, and is the biblical climax of the Exodus narrative. There is so much I could focus on but, what I’d like to point out is a little know Midrash on the Hebrews at the Red Sea. As you may or may not know the Israelites left…»
Q. What do you think about change? Can people really deep down change their bad way of life? A. Peace & Blessings! Dear Do I Have To Change? We’re changing all the time, change they say is the one constant. But positive and healthy change is difficult, not because we don’t know or even believe…»
This weeks Torah reading is called ‘Bo’ which literally means Come, God said to Moses “Come unto Pharaoh…” The Rabbis obviously have a problem with this grammatically difficult passage, because, if the author of the Bible would have been any good at Hebrew Grammar, they should have written: “Go unto Pharaoh…” The Midrash explains that…»
In last weeks reading of Shemot, we learnt that Moses saw God in the Burning Bush and God spoke to him and told him to free the Hebrews from Egypt. Moses told God that He had made some kind of mistake, that he wasn’t fit for the job, that he suffered from low self esteem,…»
This weeks Torah reading, starts the new book of Shemot. We learn about the Hebrews gradual enslavement, Moses’s birth and some significant moments in his life. One of the most significant and dramatic event is Moses discovering the Burning Bush and God commanding him to “Go down Moses, way down to Egypt Land… tell old…»
Meditations on the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe concerning the future of the State of Israel – Part 1. It’s interesting to talk about the history of Israel, about who had which bit of land first, about displacement, occupation, democracy, borders, territories and the like. But what about the future of Israel? Where is it…»
“And Jacob Lived in the Land of Egypt for 17 years…” I know this whole parsha is meant to be about the life of Jacob, but I’m far more interested in the life and philosophy of Joseph. And in fact that maybe, one of the reasons why there’s no gap between these two readings, because…»
Yechi You! – Vodka Vort Hassidus Purim for me is Alcohol Hassidus and I’m apologising and saying ‘I love you’ to all of you – sorry if this is a bit hmmm… difficult to follow – or is that just me finding it hard to focus on the screen? Anyways – it’s a time of…»
The up coming, ideas are based on the premise of the attainment of an objective perception of reality, It also implies a knowledge or understanding of the “Mystical Experience” where one looses the sense of self, and is absorbed into a higher and more objective state or reality where one realises one personal insignificance in…»
In order to meditate probably one should make sure that there isn’t any thing that will disturb, one from it. The list is quite long, but suffice to say, it is dealt with at length by the, Shulchan Auroch, concerning place in which to pray -meditate, it shouldn’t be too messy, or untidy, this disturbs…»
Kabbalah Yoga is a lost art, one that can be re-discovered. I believe that many authentically Jewish Yogic positions have been lost of overlooked by mainstream Judaism. For example – the ‘Shulcahn Aurouch’ the Code of Jewish Law, suggests that you must rise like a Lion. This does not mean yawning, it means stretching like…»
The Greek culture represented the height of Intellect, and even to this day the Greek Philosophers stand tall as the bastions of the Intellectual elite! They did not mind the Logic of the Torah, The Beauty of the Traditions and Jewish Culture, but they did have a problem with ‘Super Logic’ or as they saw…»
“All the festivals will be annulled in the future time, except for Purim” – Midrash Mishlei 9:2 What is it about Purim which makes it unique enough to still be celebrated in the messianic era? As you may know the messianic era is a time where Atzmus, the essence of God is revealed in all…»
Reflections on Yom Kippur – Out of all the holidays Judaism has to offer it has always puzzled me why people seem to choose to observe Yom Kippur, which is in all honesty the most solemn and serious day of the year. We ask God to forgive us for things we may have done, we…»
On Rosh Ha Shanah, we (are asked to) make God King, because ‘there is no King without a people’.. God is waiting for us to recognise Him, God is, so to speak, dependant on our service for His own existence. We are not actually celebrating the actual Biblical Creation of Heaven & Earth, which is…»
Many years ago as part of a research project, Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan obtained a photocopy of ‘The Treasure House of Life’, by Rabbi Issac of Akko (1250-1350) a student of the Ramban (Nachmonadies) In it he discovered a radically new concept of Sabbatical cycles, according to the ‘Book of Form’ a classical Kabbalist book, the…»
Sometimes life doesn’t give you time to think, to theorise, to philosophise, to ponder and wonder, what the deeper meanings are. As a self-proclaimed “Urban Guru” i find this non-thinking type of service, slightly challenging, but that’s because i think too much, and God/ the Universe and everything is telling me to just stop! Not…»
The Jedi warriors know that they must listen to the Force, they must tap into the underlying unity of the universe, opening their consciousness and hearts to the life force within everything, the bubbling and pulsating force of the universe which brings it into being and nurtures all life. In ancient Hebrew the expression “Life…»
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Look, whatever the meaning of life really is, or whatever suffering there is in the world or thus far in your life, it’s not gonna hurt you if you learn to smile, smell the flowers and force yourself to discover a big dollop of joy, happiness in your life, is it? So the wise Rabbis…»
The miracle that is said to have taken place in the Jerusalem Temple: In the Holy Land, in Jerusalem the Holy City, stands the Holy Temple, walking up to it is a Holy experience, as you enter the outer courtyard you notice another doorway to the inner Holy courtyard where stands the Holy Alter. Directly…»
Sometimes you may feel that you need to pray, and that’s cool, in fact asking God/the Universe for the things you need to be yourself completely, is really important, praying for thing things you want, sometimes we don’t ask and that’s a problem, asking, and articulating what you need and want help you on a…»
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No one can teach you the ancient wisdom contained in your being they can only be your mirror. I hate teachers, gurus, rabbis, politicians, priests, swamis and other self-declared authoritarian quacks that think that they know best, that they are somehow superior and better than regular common people. The bible I think, could be something…»
One word spoken with intention is more powerful than a million mumbled prays, magical incantations and babblings from Holy Scriptures. Words without intentions are like the bodies of Angels without souls, and words without intentions are like souls without bodies. But words said with intention have the power to storm heaven and permanently transform the…»
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There is a peculiar Kabbalistic custom which encourages tasting the food prepared for the Sabbath before the day actually begins. On a practical level, this hopefully ensures that the food tastes ok, and if it need a bit more salt or curry power then you’ve got the opportunity to remedy it before the Sabbath. However…»
The Kabbalistic tradition does believe in reincarnation, but the real question how are you going to use the information you find out about yourself and your previous lives and incarnations? How are you going to live your life as a result of the idea of reincarnation? If you are going to say to yourself; why…»
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The world, universe and everything and beyond, the myriads of angels, energetic spheres of influence, every fibre of existence, is pulsating in and out of being . The entire lot, all of it is being created from the essence of all being, and “pulsating” in and out of existence, from absolute nothingness into brand spanking…»
Life can sometimes present us with lots of different challenges, they are of course, all there to help us grow and become deeper and better people because of them. But I believe that it is our resistance to, what is, to the unfolding of life, the universe and everything, to the day-to-day stuff that happens…»
“I AM THE LORD YOUR GOD YOU SHALL HAVE NO OTHER GODS BEFORE ME!” Tradition has it that the Ten Commandments may have not been exactly like the Hollywood version by Cecil B. De Mille staring Charlton Heston as Moses and Yil Brynner (who seems to play all the baddies) as Pharaoh. Let’s just set…»
In the strange and sometimes manic but perfectly peaceful personal utopia that I inhabit and co-create, there are occasions when I dialogue with local sages, mystics, high priests and priestesses and even groups of young trainee rabbis. On one such occasion debating the benefits of rigorous study over the comforts of staying in bed. I…»
There’s a telling Italian saying: “When the wine goes in, the secrets come out!” and another one that goes something like: “You can’t have a full bottle of wine AND a drunk wife!” But I’m not sure which one is more accurate? A relatively modern school of mysticism (Me?) believe that being slightly inebriated is…»
Q. What is your understanding of Kabbalah? A. Kabbalah is Judaism’s esoteric mystical tradition, I believe it has existed in tandem with traditional Judaism from its very start. It is the spiritual meaning behind Judaism’s more formal religious observance. The soul of Judaism’s body, it animates it and gives it meaning and purpose. Kabbalah is…»
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PEACE Conflict or any kind cannot be resolved by more conflict, Anti-war marches just increase war, Boycotts just add spiritual fuel to the problem I’d just learn to focus To breathe, to spend time developing a meditative practice even if it’s for a few mins a day Breathing in and out saying words like, Love,…»
Focused Breathing – in this exercise – you quietly focus on your in and out breath – the feeling a sensation of your breathe in and out of your lungs – feel your abdomen rise and fall – start to focus on your breathing breathing in through your nose and out breathing is calming it…»
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Once a farmer had an unruly donkey, who ran around his fields and never did what he was supposed to do. The farmer was at a loss and offered a reward for anyone who could tame his wild donkey. Many people tried but failed, they tried shouting at it, tempting it with carrots, etc… but…»
Listen to your body, it is very wise. Wiser than you conscious mind, wiser than the Encyclopaedia Britannica, Einstein, Steven Hawkins, wiser than your Gran, wiser than the Biggest super computer in the world, wiser than you’ll ever know and than you’ll probably ever give it credit for. Your body is wiser than you, yet…»
Your mind is like a special satellite dish that hones in on anything you programme it to look for or be interested in. Whatever your focus that becomes your dominant underlying thought. Your thoughts and beliefs shape the way you understand yourself and the world, the help you navigate your gave through the word and…»
Everyday, if you listen closely, the Universe within yourself is telling you something. If you listen you will hear, that small and quite voice, that knowing feeling that dwells behind your heart, it is urging you to love. To do what you love, to be what you love, to live the life you love. But…»
That’s the posh name for ˜living your dreams” but it means slightly more. Eschatology, means what is going to happen in the End, the end of your life, the end of time, etc… Who do you want to be in five years time? Where would you like to be in ten years time? I’m not…»
We are all a lousy cynics, we’ve all been bitten by the snake of bitterness and quiet anger, whether from a broken heart, feeling that we’ve being wronged or by Life dealing us a bad hand. And it’s easy to bitch about the elusiveness of happiness, how today’s society doesn’t encourage any deep or meaningful…»
I believe that deep within you, the very essence of your being is a hub of pure pleasure. Whatever we ‘do’ comes from the ultimate desire to re-experience and express this pure pleasure and happiness. Therefore subconsciously, the ultimate objective and desired final goal or outcome is to experience ultimate pleasure. It’s the process of…»
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Each one of us is capable of tapping into a truly vast, inner reservoir of love and compassion, not only for ourselves, but for others and the world at large. When we do touch that source, this depth within us, we are overwhelmed with a real love for living, that surges and flows out of…»
As a kinda continuation from my post about Idols, I want to say something about society, not something new, but something you already know. The culture, which we live, tells us many things regularly, one of the messages is: You’re not good enough as you are! And this comes from people trying to sell us…»
Where have all the Heroes gone? Become your own Superhero! People we can look up to, people who are inspiring, flawless, good and honest, people that live their dreams, that fight for what is right, that stand up and are counted? Were are these righteous men and women, where do we find them? How do…»
In continuation to my “Living without Judgement” blurb: I’ve been reflecting on the fact that when you personally do something, anything, it’s OK! it’s justified, you give yourself the benefit of doubt, you are righteous (in your own eyes)! However, if you see someone else doing the same, or similar thing a little while later…»
It’s so easy to be cynical, even to give up hope and say “Who cares?”, “What difference does it make what I do good/bad, because I’m just one person, what effect can I have!?”. This is what some people say to themselves in response to the challenge of living a more environmentally responsible life or…»
Pain and Suffering are probably the greatest teachers of personal development, but the real reason why they are the greatest teachers is not what they actually teach you but the fact that once you have learnt what you needed to have learnt with them they don’t want to see you again. They don’t want devotees,…»
Life is a big mirror and everything we think, feel, say and do has an effect on the world around us and the entire universe. Our mood, and thoughts are reflected back to us, not just by other people but by the nature of what seems to happen to us. We create our own Karma,…»
Many people point to someone or something outside of themselves for the answers to life’s difficult questions, as well as for love, joy, happiness, clarity or contentment. Many of us turn to God, friends, family, professionals, or to spiritual, political or religious leaders. In addition we often turn to short-term escapes, quick fixes, like shopping,…»
The ancient ‘urban gurus’ taught the following little bit of a lifestyle tip: ‘Greet all people with Joy’ (Ethics of the Fathers 3:12) And it taken on face value is an amazingly powerful teaching, greet everyone you meet with joy, with a smile with inner happiness! But the actual grammar of this ancient text is…»
Rabbi Max
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