EVIL'S FATE ONE DAY, YOUR WORST ENEMY WILL BECOME YOUR GREATEST ALLY שחיטת יצר הרע Have you ever heard the haunting ballad Chad Gadya—"One Little Goat”? Its theme is a chain of consumption: cat devours goat, dog kills cat, stick beats dog, fire burns stick, water extinguishes fire, ox drinks water, slaughterer butchers ox; finally the Angel of Death murders the slaughterer. But the song doesn't end there. In the final verse, the Holy One destroys the Angel of Death. This anci

GAIN WITHOUT PAIN? THE MEANING OF SUFFERING BEFORE REDEMPTION חבלי משיח During the Holocaust, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn addressed a letter to a disciple’s confusion regarding Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak’s recent declaration that Moshiach’s arrival was imminent. Why are we then suffering? his student asked. In response, the sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe compared the devastation of Eastern European Jewry to birthpangs. While often excruciating and prolonged, labor is a step in the pr

GRAND ENTRANCE GLIDING OF CLOUDS, OR RIDING A DONKEY ענני שמיא ורוכב על החמור The legend of the unicorn, believe it or not, makes its appearance in Jewish literature. One of the sources of the colorful pelts used as the upper layers of the desert Tabernacle was the tachash, described by the Midrash as a one-horned animal with multi-hued skin. Other animals of mythic nature are recorded in our vast tradition, but it is the plodding, utilitarian donkey that is tied with the adv

ON TOP OF GIANTS THE CUMULATIVE EFFECT OF BRINGING MOSHIACH ננס על גבי הענק Google Scholar’s homepage announces: "Stand on the shoulders of giants," inviting each visitor to build their research on the huge repository of current academic study. With the advent of AI, you don’t have to even read those studies to easily access the most pertinent and advanced information available on the internet. (But don’t try that on the path to a doctorate.) תשובות רבינו ישעי' דטראני (רי"ד),

A WORLD TRANSFORMED A CHANGE IN FORM, NOT IN SUBSTANCE הרע יהפך לטוב In 1973, with the whole world on edge in the greatest global conflict of the 20th century, the Global Positioning System was born. It took only twenty years for America’s greatest strategic weapon of the Space War to be a force of public good. Where would we be today without GPS? זכרי' פרק יג, פסוק ב וְאֶת רוּחַ הַטֻּמְאָה אַעֲבִיר מִן הָאָרֶץ. אור החיים בראשית פרק א, פסוק א וְהִנֵּה יָדוּעַ כִּי הַקְּלִפָּ

KID IN A CANDY STORE MATERIAL BOUNTY IN THE AGE OF MOSHIACH גלוסקאות וכלי מילת An online bookstore opened in Bellevue, Washington in 1995, the tiny first chapter of the e-retail giant, Amazon. Who woulda thought? Imagine the next big thing after the convenience and expediency of the same-day drone drop: a world where items are always available and never out of stock. כתובות קיא ע"ב אָמַר רַבִּי חִייָא בָּר יוֹסֵף: עֲתִידָהּ אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁתּוֹצִיא גְלוּסקָאוֹת וּכְלֵי מִ

THE POWER OF EIGHT UNDERSTANDING THE NATURE OF MIRACLES כינור של שמונה נימין Who would welcome extending the workweek by three days? Well. it’s been attempted before. During the French Revolution, the calendar was temporarily altered by instituting “décades,” 10-day weeks, in order to break away from the religious tradition of a Divine day of rest. However, the system was unpopular and impractical, and after just twelve years, the seven-day week was reinstated. The natural rh

REVELATION & REVOLUTION JEWISH MYSTICISM MEETS SOCIETAL CHANGE נפתחו שערי חכמה Table salt. Gold. Helium. Do these disparate elements have anything in common? In 1869, Dmitri Mendeleev organized elements according to their atomic mass and properties, creating the first Periodic Table of the Elements. In doing so, he uncovered recurring patterns that demonstrate that all types of matter have a common underlying structure. This breakthrough led to many other discoveries showing

HEARTBEAT OF A NATION UNDERSTANDING ISRAEL'S SIGNIFICANCE ארץ ישראל For a population and land area roughly the size of New Jersey, the international scrutiny Israel receives is vastly disproportionate. If you visit any news site, it's likely that the top story will involve Israel. Despite numerous ongoing conflicts around the globe, Israel remains a focal point. What is it about this tiny country that captivates so much global attention? יחזקאל לו כד - כח וְלָקַחְתִּי אֶתְכֶם

State of The Union UNDERSTANDING THE NATURE OF G-D'S RELATIONSHIP WITH THE JEWISH PEOPLE מתן תורה: אירוסין ונישואין Synthesis is the act of combining two or more elements to form a new entity. This process occurs in nature, such as the combination of hydrogen and oxygen to create water, and in human-directed activities, such as cooking and composing music. The ability to synthesize helps sustain existence and promotes personal growth and development. What does this crucial pr

WHAT'S IN A MITZVAH THE POWER OF TRANSFORMATION IS IN EVERYDAY ACTIONS מצוה מלשון ציווי וצותאי Throughout history, rulers, leaders, and philosophers have developed various theories and methods on how to construct the best society. Each theory and method offers what it considers to be the most essential building blocks to achieve their goals. However, man-made versions of human and social development are often subject to miscalculation and even malice, whereas the Creator's vi

REALITY CHECK LIVING A DREAM, EAGER TO AWAKE. גלות וגאולה - שינה ויקיצה Perhaps the most astonishing technological development of our time is Artificial Intelligence. Ask an AI generator to depict an old Lithuanian rabbi soaring over New York City while clutching an enormous pickle. Moments later it will generate this wacky sight. Surely, this is a sign of extraordinary technological capabilities, but perhaps, more deeply, this distortion has its roots in the very environment

REUNITED THE INGATHERING OF THE JEWISH NATION AND THE DIVINE קיבוץ גלויות: השבת העם והשכינה Soldiers returning home from the battlefield to their family’s warm embrace can trigger strong emotions, like those felt at the birth of a child, weddings, and funerals. After holding onto a crumpled family photograph for months, the reunion moment offers a newfound appreciation for the value of home and loved ones. Perhaps it's a glimpse into the future ultimate reunion between G-d an

HOME FOR ONE UNDERSTANDING G-D'S PLAN דירה בתחתונים Technology has permeated every facet of our lives, transforming work, leisure, travel, and communication. With the swipe of a finger you can see people thousands of miles away. With the click of a button you instantaneously transfer funds to the other side of the globe. What once seemed impossible is now a reality, our vast planet smaller and more unified than ever, an interwoven environment where scattered people and resour

THE PLAYWRIGHT OF HISTORY SEEING CREATION LIKE THE CREATOR רוחו של משיח : תכלית הבריאה In The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, the author identifies one habit to help clarify vision, focus efforts, and align actions with desired outcomes: begin with the end in mind. The ultimate project in all of history was G-d’s creation of the world. What was the end our Creator had in mind when He began? בראשית רבה ב, ד רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ פָּתַר קְרָיָא בַּגָּלֻיּוֹת, וְהָא