Kabbalah teaches that our lives are a quest. How do we keep going in the right direction, one step at a time?

Here are the sources referred to in this episode:

The Infinite one tells Avram to "go forth" or "go to yourself" or "go for your own benefit" -
https://www.sefaria.org/Genesis.12.1?lang=bi&with=Rashi&lang2=en

Also Rashi (on "the land that I will show you"): Hashem didn't tell Avram where he was going, in order to make the place more beloved to him.

"The Land of Israel" (both the actual place and the corresponding spiritual state) is a place of great desire, intimacy and awe. To attain it, we must learn how to appreciate it, which happens through us journeying step by step, overcoming challenge by challenge.
https://www.sefaria.org/Likutei_Halakhot%2C_Orach_Chaim%2C_Laws_of_Washing_One's_Hands_for_a_Meal.6.106?vhe=Likutei_Halachot:_Orach_Chaim_1&lang=bi

Hashem's telling Avram to "Go forth!" or "Go to yourself!" is a message to every one of us to re-turn to our own highest self, our spiritual root, our soul (Neshamah), which requires many ups and downs.
Wherever we are going, whatever is happening, we need to intend / direct (lekaven) ourselves to our deepest soul-root, and ignore the many distractions and confusions we may encounter from our family, our homeland, our culture or civilization, etc -
https://www.sefaria.org/Likutei_Halakhot%2C_Orach_Chaim%2C_Laws_of_the_Sabbath.7.75?lang=bi

This journey can also be described a journey to our deepest inner truth, which in other teachings (see the Breishit episode) Reb Noson points out correlates to Rachamim (Compassion). We can cultivate truthfulness / compassion by speaking our truth to our Creator, thereby bringing these qualities into our consciousness and our lives -
https://www.sefaria.org/Likutei_Halakhot%2C_Choshen_Mishpat%2C_Laws_of_Theft.5.6.1?vhe=Likutei_Halachot:_Choshen_Mishpat_2&lang=bi

Before every successful step forward, there is some kind of confusion. We need to seek and search relentlessly, trusting in the infinite compassion of the Creator -
https://www.sefaria.org/Likutei_Halakhot%2C_Orach_Chaim%2C_Laws_of_Tachanun.5.8.1?lang=bi

Thank you for listening to The Spirit of the Torah from Applied Jewish Spirituality (AJS) - https://www.appliedjewishspirituality.org/

In every episode, Rabbi Daniel Raphael Silverstein explores insights arising from the Hebrew calendar or our weekly Torah portion, and related practices that can help us to effect positive change in our lives.

The intro and outro music is Shiviti by Dreamers - https://linktr.ee/dreamersmusic

Your support makes these podcasts possible.
To support future episodes of this podcast, please click here: https://www.appliedjewishspirituality.org/donate

Rashi, the great French medieval commentator on the Torah, comments on the opening of our weekly Torah portion in a very provocative manner.

Through bringing multiple perspectives on the righteousness of Noach, he challenges us to consider: What does it mean to be a righteous person (Tzadik)?

Here are the sources referred to in this episode:

The Torah calls Noach a Tzadik (Righteous Person).
How is that discerned?
Is it innate, or is it relative to one's context?
https://www.sefaria.org/Genesis.6.9?lang=bi&aliyot=0&p2=Rashi_on_Genesis.6.9&lang2=bi

The Tzadik turns the quality of Judgement/Severity to Compassion:
https://www.sefaria.org/Bereshit_Rabbah.73.3?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en

The Righteous fall but keep getting up - seven times:
https://www.sefaria.org/Proverbs.24.16?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en

Joseph *just* passes his test to become a Tzadik: https://www.sefaria.org/Sotah.36b.11?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en

This is what makes him a Tzadik, and enables him to be a channel for life to flow through him:
https://www.sefaria.org/Zohar%2C_Miketz.4.35?vhe=Vocalized_Zohar,_Israel_2013&lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en

The Righteous One is the foundation of the world:
https://www.sefaria.org/Proverbs.10.25?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en

All of us are righteous:
https://www.sefaria.org/Mishnah_Sanhedrin.10.1?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en

A Tzadik is someone who enjoys serving G!d:
https://www.sefaria.org/Ba'al_Shem_Tov%2C_Noach.1.1?vhe=Sefer_Baal_Shem_Tov._Lodz,_1938&lang=bi

We're all potential Tzadikim and the world needs multiple Tzadikim to each do their bit: https://www.sefaria.org/Me'or_Einayim%2C_Yitro.30?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en

Thank you for listening to The Spirit of the Torah from Applied Jewish Spirituality (AJS) - https://www.appliedjewishspirituality.org/

In every episode, Rabbi Daniel Raphael Silverstein explores insights arising from the Hebrew calendar or our weekly Torah portion, and related practices that can help us to effect positive change in our lives.

The intro and outro music is Shiviti by Dreamers - https://linktr.ee/dreamersmusic

Your support makes these podcasts possible.
To support future episodes of this podcast, please click here: https://www.appliedjewishspirituality.org/donate

On Simchat Torah, we conclude our year-long reading of the entire Torah, and then immediately begin it once again.

What is the kabbalistic meaning of this endless circle of Torah?

Here are the sources referred to in this episode:

When we've learned the entire Torah, then we understand that we actually don't know anything at all.
https://www.sefaria.org/Me'or_Einayim%2C_Bereshit.48?vhe=Me%27or_Einayim_--_OYW&lang=bi

Creation could not endure unless Compassion (Rachamim, aka Emet and Tiferet) preceded Judgement (Din) -
https://www.sefaria.org/Genesis.1.1?lang=bi&aliyot=0&p2=Rashi_on_Genesis.1.1&lang2=bi

The greatest thing Moses did was breaking the tablets! -
https://www.sefaria.org/Deuteronomy.34.12?lang=bi&aliyot=0&p2=Rashi_on_Deuteronomy.34.12.3&lang2=bi

The beginning of Hashem's Word (Torah) is Truth (Emet) -
https://www.sefaria.org/Psalms.119.160?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en

Truth (Emet is Hashem's seal, i.e. identifying mark -
https://www.sefaria.org/Shabbat.55a.12?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en

Before Creation, Truth says don't create humanity because they will be full of lies, and Hashem "throws Truth to the ground" (Daniel 8:12), but when the angels protested that Truth is Hashem's own seal (i.e. identifying mark), Hashem relented and said "Let Truth sprout from the earth" (Psalms 85:12) -
https://www.sefaria.org/Bereshit_Rabbah.8.5?lang=bi

The real nature of Truth is to bring close, and not to distance;
The last letters of the first three words of the Torah spell "Emet", and as soon as we end the Torah (with the breaking of the tablets), we begin it again, which demonstrates that we don't know anything at all, and we must never let ourselves be distanced or pushed away by what seems to be the Truth, rather that we have to begin again in every moment because the actual, real, deepest Truth is that Hashem's Compassion knows no limits, and so we should always begin once again to pray -
https://www.sefaria.org/Likutei_Halakhot%2C_Yoreh_Deah%2C_Laws_of_Interest.5.27?vhe=Likutei_Halachot:_Yoreh_Deah_1&lang=bi

Thank you for listening to The Spirit of the Torah from Applied Jewish Spirituality (AJS) - https://www.appliedjewishspirituality.org/

In every episode, Rabbi Daniel Raphael Silverstein explores insights arising from the Hebrew calendar or our weekly Torah portion, and related practices that can help us to effect positive change in our lives.

The intro and outro music is Shiviti by Dreamers - https://linktr.ee/dreamersmusic

Your support makes these podcasts possible.
To support future episodes of this podcast, please click here: https://www.appliedjewishspirituality.org/donate