Jewish Institute for Lifelong Learning & Innovation

The last sefirah of the Tree of Life is Malkhut (Sovereignty), also known as Shechinah (Presence). It is befitting that we finish our examination of the Tree of Life by talking about Malkhut/Shechinah, the Sefirah of completion, of making what has once been a plan into a concrete reality.

The Sefirah of Yessod is one’s foundation. In this Sefirah we put the final touches in our projects, making ourselves ready to create a final product. In this Sefirah we examine our resilience, our ability to quiet the internal doubts and find the path to self-esteem and self-realization.

The Sefirah that stands opposite to the sefirah we examined last, Netzach, is called Hod. The root of the word Hod has different meanings: majesty, acknowledgement, and gratitude. From these different meanings the kabbalists created a definition of this spiritual energy.

Our next stop in the examination  of the Tree of Life is Netzach. Netzach can be translated as victory and as eternity. This is the sefirah in which our actions and our achievements draw the power to continue, where we find the endurance to face all the challenges that we…

After all the Jewish holidays, I now resume the musings about the different energies of the Eternal according to the Kabbalah. Today, I will explore the energy of Tiferet. Tiferet can be translated as Glory, harmony, beauty, or compassion. It is the balance achieved as we fine tune the influence of the…

In 2011, Benjamin and I travelled to Spain. We chose Spain for the soccer, since Benjamin wanted to watch Cristiano Ronaldo play. I remember enjoying Spain from a trip I took with my mom in January 1982, when the two of us backpacked through Europe, after my first year living…

Whenever I can, I have knitting needles or a crochet hook in my hands. I love crocheting and knitting, and although I have been doing both for a long time now, I am very slow at both crafts. This fact does not stop me from loving the feeling of the different…

Gevurah, sometimes called Din, is the sefirah that lies opposite to Hessed in the Tree of Life. Gevurah means power, strength, rigor, or bravery, and Din means judgment. All of these understandings of Gevurah/Din are important concepts for anyone who wishes to lead a good life.  The sefirah of Gevurah/Din is where we find measures, limits, and restraints. It is this sefirah that regulates the manifestation…

This week we are welcoming the new Hebrew month of Elul, and with it, the daily listening of the sound of the shofar. Elul is the last month of the Hebrew calendar, heralding a period of introspection, a time to review our actions during the year that passed, a time to re-think our deeds…