Jewish Identity
18 items across all libraries
Ve Eleh Shemot 5740
The Alef Kabbala Group (5 January 2010, 20 Tevet) explored a discourse by the Lubavitcher Rebbe said on Shabbat Shemot 1980 (5740). Sedra Shemot begins "And these are the names of the Children of...
Resisters And Affirmers
The two psychological types in the Jewish community: resisters and affirmers, relating them to the wrestling match between Jacob and the angel. Both impulses can exist within one individual, and the...
Individual And Community
How the individual relates to the community through the Nasi offerings brought by the princes of the twelve tribes at the Sanctuary's dedication. The Lubavitcher Rebbe's insight that each prince...
Who Are We? Jacob, Joseph Or Both?
Who we are as Jews: Jacob the spiritual, or Joseph the man of the world, or both? Jacob's insistence on being buried in Hebron rather than remaining in Egypt expresses his refusal to become...
Esau And His Wives
The first intermarriage in the Torah through Esau's Hittite wives, and the grief this caused Isaac and Rebecca. The contrast between Rebecca, who rose above her idol-worshipping family background,...
Resisting The Pressure
The pressure to compromise Jewish identity using the Sedra's warning against planting an Asheira tree near the Altar. The Lubavitcher Rebbe's interpretation is that this applies even to well-meaning...
What’S In A Name?
On the significance of names in the opening of Exodus, connecting the names of Jacob's sons to the theme of exile and redemption. The central insight is that what went into Egypt was our names, our...
Dimensions Of Identity
The multiple dimensions of identity through the opening of Exodus, using Rashi's comment to show that a person has both a collective Jewish dimension and a unique individual dimension. The insight...
Dimensions Of Identity
The multiple dimensions of identity: Jewish identity and personal individual identity, drawing on Rashi's comment about the two dimensions revealed in the opening verse of Exodus. The story of...
Why Shechitah Is Important
On the contemporary threat to shechitah and the spiritual rationale behind kosher slaughter, explaining that the Torah restricts meat-eating to ensure it is done with awareness of its spiritual...
I’M Looking For Me
How each Jew finds their unique individual spiritual territory within the collective Jewish mission, using the Torah's account of dividing the Land of Israel by lot. The key insight is that one's...
Borders
The tension between the quest for unity and the need to protect distinct borders and identities, drawing on the Sedra's laws about maintaining distinctions. The insight is that protecting differences...
Borders
The role of borders and distinctions in Jewish life, drawing from both Torah portions, which list boundaries between the permitted and the forbidden. The insight is that maintaining boundaries is not...
Free talk with Oxford/Cambridge students
An open question-and-answer session by Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz from the Inspire 2007 conference with students from Oxford and Cambridge universities. The discussion ranges across topics of faith,...
Spiritual Experience for Hasidic Youths and Girls
An academic article by Naftali Loewenthal examining the spiritual experiences and religious education of young people, including girls, within the Hasidic world. The article explores how Hasidic...
Names And Numbers
This discourse was delivered by the Rebbe on Shabbat Parshat Shemot, 5725 (1965). The Sedra opens with 'And these are the names of the children of Israel', and Rashi compares the Jewish people to the...
Spiritual Experience for Hasidic Youths and Girls
An academic article by Naftali Loewenthal examining the spiritual experiences and religious education of young people, including girls, within the Hasidic world. The article explores how Hasidic...