Instead of yelling,  speak quietly. 
Instead of cursing,  compliment.
Instead of taking,  give.
Instead of worrying,  awaken certainty and take charge.
Instead of fearing,  conjure up courage.
Instead of seeking revenge,  offer forgiveness.
Instead of blaming,  become accountable.
Instead of playing the victim,  hold ourselves responsible.
Instead of merely coping with a problem,  seek to cure it.
Instead of complaining,  start appreciating.
Instead of looking for the negative in a situation,  find the positive.
Instead of judging others,  look for the good in them.
Instead of gossiping and bad-mouthing others,  change the subject, or  simply walk away.
Instead of listing reasons why life is so unfair,  start counting your blessings.
Instead of calculating how something will benefit us,  figure out a way to ensure that the other party benefits.
Instead of reacting to external situations,  resist and become proactive.

 [ send green star]

Find Your Path Through Kabbalah

22 PATHS OF DESTINY

Anyone can use the Tree and its many branches to trace their own personal destiny. The Tree is comprised of ten spheres interconnected by 22 paths or "Netivot" in Hebrew. The Sefer Yetzirah calls them "mystical paths of wisdom." They represent the royal roads that lead from one archetypal energy center to another. The successful navigation of any of these paths requires the harmonious blending of the forces of the two spheres it unites. Infinitely expanding Mercy tempered with the sword of Severity, for example. Or the over-effusive, even deceptive rush of information from Splendor straightened out by the heartfelt truth of Beauty.

By identifying your personal path, you deepen the understanding of your mission on Earth, the spiritual purpose of your current life. Each one of the 22 paths corresponds to a Hebrew letter and a Major Arcana card from the Tarot that will provide a bank of images, myths and symbols for you to ponder along the way. Intuition will guide you as well. Once you embrace the characteristics of each one of the Tree's spheres, you will be able to sense, feel and intuit the primary messages and challenges of the paths in between. Each human being is born with the task of walking two distinct paths:

The Destiny Path corresponds to your astrological Sun sign. This spiritual highway outlines the primary mission of your life, your chief metaphysical goal. It shows you where to direct your focus, where to push, what to aim for. The sun is the sole star in our immediate universe. The Destiny Path illuminates just how to shoot for the stars.

The Way or Tao Path resembles the ascendant or rising sign in traditional astrology. It intimates the characteristics, personality traits and tools most available to you in this lifetime. The Tao Path reflects the driving force vital to your ultimate success. Working to master the assets and pitfalls of this road represents a giant step toward achieving your goal. If your Destiny Path signifies your profession, the Tao Path demarcates the way you go about pursuing success in your chosen field. If you are a teacher, for example, then teaching is your Destiny Path. The kind of teacher you are-where you teach, what subject, what methods you employ, whether you stay after school to tutor your charges-all that is a reflection of the Tao Path.

First find your Destiny Path by matching your astrological Sun sign to the number of your path in the list below. Cancers will follow path #7. All Capricorns land on path #15, etc.



List of Sun signs and Destiny Paths:

Aires: March 22 to April 21-- path #4.
Taurus: April 22 to May 22 -- path #5.
Gemini: May 23 to June 22 -- path #6.
Cancer: June 23 to July 23 -- path #7.
Leo: July 24 to August 23 -- path #8.
Virgo: August 24 to September 23 - path #9.
Libra: September 24 to October 22 - path #11
Scorpio: October 23 to November 22 -- path #13
Sagittarius: November 23 to December 22 -- path #14
Capricorn: December 23 to January 20 -- path #15
Aquarius: January 21 to February 20 -- path #17
Pisces: February 21 to March 21 -- path #18.

Now find your Way Path or Tao Number. You configure this result through use of your birth date. For example: if you were born between the 1st and the 21st of each month, then your Way Path matches your day of birth. For example, everyone born on the 14th of any month will use Way Path #14. Anyone born on the 3rd of any month will travel on Way Path #3. The month doesn't matter. Simply use the number of your birthday.

If you were born on the 22nd, you will travel on Path #0.
This might sound odd, but on the Tree there are 22 paths numbered from 0 to 21. Our monthly calendars start at Day 1, and thus the challenging path of Zero falls to all those lucky enough to be born on the 22nd.
All of you born between 23rd and the 31st of any month will add the two numbers of their birthday together and walk that path.
If you are born on the 23rd, your path is #5 (2+3=5).
The 24th equals path #6 (2+4=6).
The 25th equals path #7
The 26th equals path #8
The 27th equals path #9
The 28th equals path #10
The 29th equals path #11
The 30th equals path #3
The 31st equals path #4.

 [ send green star]

You will find an explanation of each path and its symbols below. Read them all, if you like. They might assist you in understanding and building compassion for the struggles and personalities of your spouse, children, parents, bosses and friends. But focus most fervently on your own spiritual highways. Each road mirrors your soul's chief purpose in this lifetime. It defines your karma or what they call Tikkun (correction) in Hebrew; what you need to fix and purify most of all.


LIST OF PATHS:

Path #0 - The Threshold of Nothingness - The Way of Potential

This path leads from the CROWN, the threshold to the endless Light, to WISDOM. It opens new ways of thinking, stimulating the qualities of innovation, unpredictability, change and innocence. It is the path of the Fool, the joker who survives the challenges of life and his own recklessness by laughing at it all. The number zero suggests the state of mind one should cultivate on this particular path-an attitude of No Fear because there is "zero" out there anyway. Why worry, why be afraid if all is nothingness? Here we find the path of the initiator, the innovator and inventor; the path of the individual who does things in unique ways. It is the path of freedom.
Tarot Card: The FOOL rules the path because only a fool would think of embarking on the indefinable journey from Crown to Wisdom. But it is because of Fools that we enjoy all the spiritual technologies available to us today. The Fool is the shape shifter who can change into any card he or she chooses. That is why it is the only Major Arcana (or trump of the Tarot) that has survived in modern playing cards as the joker. Challenges: Too erratic, unpredictable, irresponsible, a rebel without a cause. Destructive with no solution, foolish. Weirdness, madness, chaotic.
Hebrew Letter: Aleph, the first of the Hebrew letters, represents absolute potential. In Kabbalah, Aleph rules the element of air-the Prana or the Holy Ghost. It is the breath, the potential for all that is. But the danger of "hot air"-people who talk and talk and never translate that air into action-can resonate here as well. Aleph is said to have all the letters embedded in it. It serves as the master program for the other 21 archetypal energies. In Hebrew, Aleph also means "champion," indicating that the Fool is the champion of all the cards. It also translates to "ox" or "plow," that which carries all the rest of the letters and readies the soil-or the way-for all that follow.



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Path #1 - The Path of the Trickster - The Way of Magic

This path connects the bright nothingness of the CROWN with the materializing sphere of UNDERSTANDING. It demands that you manifest your will as well as the will of others. Think of the magician who pulls a dove out of thin air. It is the path of mind over matter, the path of the Magician and the master Alchemist. Anyone who puts two people or projects together and then collects a finder's fee-the writer, the negotiator and the orator-walks on this road. The number one symbolizes the energy of the initiator and leadership. Logic rules here in the guise of a double-edged sword that can either destroy or hone anything to a greater clarity of understanding. On this path, you create magic if you employ the sword in the service of the Light. Use your words wisely. They wield enormous power.
Card: The MAGICIAN represents the ability in each of us to create what we need and draw closer to the One. The magician is master of the four elements. He backs up his words (air) with action (fire), and he does what he feels (water) is right to achieve his material goal (earth). The magician's symbol is infinity represented by the number 8.
Challenges: Trickery, lies and deception. Abusing magic and power for your own selfish needs. Walking in the shadow, susceptible to darkness. Remember: the sphere of Understanding is an arduous energy that teaches discipline and responsibility.
Hebrew Letter: Bet means house or home in Hebrew. It suggests that we must find a home or a structure for all our thoughts. Words contain great creative power both good and bad. Declaring, "I can't make it" will be manifested in reality as easily as "I will succeed." Use words with reverence. It is not a coincidence that the Torah, one the channels of Light into our world, begins with the letter Bet. Aleph, path 0, is potential. This path, #1, brings that potential home to Earth.

 [ send green star]

Path #2 - Heart Connections - The Way of Love

This path, the longest on the Tree, leads from the shining will of the CROWN, the source of Light, to the BEAUTY of the heart. It is the path of love and nurturing. The Moon, the seat of the goddess within, rules this road. Here you are called to pay attention to the connection between the mind and the heart. Most people struggle to unify their feelings with their logical thoughts. Memory and the collective archive sleep here, as do motherhood, healing and unconditional love. Path #2 suggests duality and relationship but strictly in the service of others. It evokes giving and an end to selfishness. It is the path of healers, nurses and givers of life.
Card: The HIGH PRIESTESS represents the balance between the masculine and feminine energies. She helps us connect to intuitive powers. Also called the Lady of the Archives, she maintains all the records of our lives. The information stored in this database are our memories. Challenges: Moodiness, overly emotional, dependency, codependency, addictions and lack of confidence.
Hebrew Letter: The letter Gimel means a camel-the only beast capable of crossing the desert. It is a highly temperamental animal, but also very loyal. It stores its own water (its own sustenance) inside, which allows it to survive on its own for weeks at a time. It serves as a ship ferrying its cargo across the harsh landscape of the desert.


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Path #3 - The Path of Womb of Life - The Way of Mother Nature

This path connects WISDOM with UNDERSTANDING, the undifferentiated right hemisphere with the logical left hemisphere of the brain. Venus reigns along this path. It represents fertility and Mother Nature, who provides for all sentient beings. It unites the feminine and masculine mind, tying together the Father of the right pillar with the Mother of the left under the eye of Venus, the queen of marriage and love. It is a doorway, the gate to life, associated with the third eye, intuition and beauty. Creative and artistic people travel this path, but they must remember to create through the union of their imagination with their logical mind. The balance of right and left.
Card: The EMPRESS symbolizes motherliness, femininity and marriage. This alluring entity governs the arts, music, colors and harmony. She is Mother Nature and the untamed wilderness. She provides life, but she can also destroy. Challenges: Overindulgence, vain, too concerned with luxury, comfort and material goods. Susceptible to over-dependence on others. Unpredictable and unreliable.
Hebrew Letter: The letter Dalet means "Door," and the door of life is the womb. The energy that connects the supreme Father and Mother. Dalet functions as the vortex through which the potential becomes material.


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Path #4 - The Path of the Provider of Order - The Way of the Liberator.

This path connects WISDOM with BEAUTY. It is the path of civilization, the provider of order. Liberators walk this path, releasing from bondage and then ideally structuring a life that leads to the balance of the heart. The United States, born on the 4th of July, finds itself here. This road builds order based on a courageous conquering of fear and the opening of new frontiers and clearings in the jungle. It is the way of leaders and reformers, soldiers and warriors of Light.
Card: The EMPEROR, the Father who is married to his love the Empress (see path #3), represents liberation from internal or external oppression. He must protect all those who suffer, and he will not hesitate to wage war to accomplish his higher goals.
Challenges: Rigid-reasoning, self-righteousness, and an inability to act from the heart. Too macho, too aggressive, susceptible to dogmatism and tyranny.
Hebrew Letter: Hey means "window." Just as the eyes are the windows of the soul, this path opens the window to our heart and soul. Through this window, via our liberator within, we glimpse the horizons of infinite possibilities. The road to our "Promised Land." Hey is also an exclamation. "Hey!" you shout when someone pushes you. When you want to draw some attention, you yell, "Hey!" Hey is often used as a symbol of God. It signifies the God within, our higher self that seasons all thoughts and ambitions with heart.

 [ send green star]

Path #5 - The Path of the Spiritual leader - The Way of the Ocean of Wisdom

This path links WISDOM with MERCY, the huge sea of expanding grace and compassion. It marks the way of the spiritual master who facilitates our own attachment to the divine. Known as the Ocean of Wisdom, it is an innovative path for those charged with unifying the disparate pieces of the creation. Kindness and unconditional compassion predominate here. This highest path of the right pillar of expansion emphasizes the importance of giving and doing for others. A true connector (in spirituality or business) works solely for the benefit of others. With this mindset, the unifier always receives more than he or she needs.
Card: The HIEROPHANT rules internal hearing, what Kabbalah calls "Bat Kol," literally "the daughter of the Voice." The Hierophant is our internal spiritual leader, who communicates with us via our inner voice or intuition. He attempts to connect our higher self with our consciousness and to make us aware of our potential.
Challenges: Greed, materialism, and attachment, valuing the earthly plane too much. Vanity and luxury. Take note of the many religious leaders and gurus who have found their heads puffed up with money, power, sex and dominance over their followers.
Hebrew Letter: Vav means "Nail." Just as nails join two pieces of wood into one, the path of the Ocean of Compassion serves to put things together. In Hebrew, Vav is used as a prefix of union-like in boys "and" girls. It signifies our union with the divine.


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Path #6 - The Path of Logic in the Service of the Heart - The Way of the Lovers.

The Lovers govern this path between UNDERSTANDING and BEAUTY. Like all love affairs, it can create a lasting union if the partners connect to their heart. But when judgment and misunderstandings predominant, it will end in separation and divorce. Anyone who travels this road must use understanding, logic and the power of reasoning in the service of beauty, love and spirituality. Followers of this road must resist the belief that rationality explains all. Writers, communicators and PR experts of all sorts must all remember that they are merely the messengers, not the message.
Card: The LOVERS denote the two that are One; the ideal union of all dualities. Represented by the astrological sign Gemini-twins, exactly the same, but of different gender, they wield love as the tool that builds unity. Challenges: Too logical, too much in their head, unemotional. Lies, theft, and a tendency to use the sword of logic to separate rather than unite. Take care to avoid conveying false or distorted messages.
Hebrew Letter: Zain stands for both a sword and the male sex organ. They say that the pen is mightier than the sword, but in this case they are one and the same. The sword is the symbol of the powerful intellect, slicing through to the crux of any issue. This letter also translates to penis, the male sex organ. Through loving sexual intercourse, Zain has the potential to foster a perfect union between the masculine and feminine, between 0 and 1, ovum and sperm.


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Path #7 - The Path of the Vessel of God - The Way of the Child of Waters.

This path joins UNDERSTANDING with SEVERITY, a road related to family, home, security and hospitality. Love is not an easy concept to Understand and practice. It demands a great deal of attention, discipline, patience and time, which is precisely the reason this path runs between the two most difficult, most restrictive spheres of the Tree. For most of us, the family stands as our central connection to love. It nourishes all kinds of love: unconditional love of the parents to their children, brotherly love between siblings, romantic love between the spouses and friendly love among cousins. But familial love can and often does strangle, restrict and fence us in. We feel it often with family obligations and the psychological neuroses inherent in many parent-child bonds. The family is protected by the home, in a sense the physical vessel for love. But this notion of family doesn't imply blood ties exclusively. People create loving, functioning families at work, with friends and in many other groups and settings. This road of the protected home is also the path of meditation. Meditation requires stillness, inner quiet and discipline. Its purpose is to help you find the home within.
Card: The CHARIOT symbolizes the vehicle humankind can use to reach God. One of the oldest Jewish mystical writings was called "Merkavah" or "The Chariot" (Ezekiel 1:1). The Chariot is code for meditation. In meditation, one reaches God by traveling without movement. In this card, the charioteer wears armor to represent the need for protection and security if one is to undertake this journey. This card also connects to the search for the Holy Grail-our inner divine emotional reservoir.
Challenges: Too protective or overly connected to one's roots, "the chosen people" syndrome. Dependency, selfishness, thick emotional walls, overly sensitive.
Hebrew Letter: Chet means "Fence" or "Wall" that marks the boundaries of the backyard of the home or even the border of a country. It stems from the shell of the crab of Cancer and the need for protection. In other words, the wall around a city that protects it from invaders.


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Path #8 - The Path of the Flaming Sword - The Way of Creativity.

This path connects MERCY and SEVERITY. It stands as the ultimate or central connection between the right and left columns of the Tr

 [ send green star]

Path #9 - Path of Purification - The Way of the Keepers of Light.

This path unifies MERCY with BEAUTY, a journey for those who live to serve and purify others. It connects the pillar of expansion with the central pillar of moderation. It stores up the radiant Light of God, which must be cherished until all the rest of us wise up and follow along. This path demands dedication and cleansing. It calls you to find your center, avoid excess and function as a wise guide. Another name for this road is "The Heart of Compassion," requiring you to find your inner wealth and share it with others. Pay attention to small details, order and tidiness. Learn and teach humility.

Card: The HERMIT symbolizes the pure man. He has cleansed himself of most physical yearnings and seeks to show the way to others who are still chained to the world's mortal coils. The Hermit serves the Light, understanding that to reach the One, humans must dive within and work on their internal world.
Challenges: Overly critical as exemplified by the "Inch Worm," which counts the flowers instead of smelling them. Perfectionism, faultfinder, hostility toward life, unemotional, over attention to detail. Losing the forest for the trees.
Hebrew Letter: Yod means "The sperm of God." It is the smallest of all the Hebrew letters, but its shape serves as the building block for all the others. Yod also means "Hand"-the same hand in which the Hermit holds the Light for everyone else.


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Path #10 - Path of the Wheel - The Way of Fortune

This path leads from MERCY to ETERNITY, a journey for those who rely on luck and usually find it. It connects the two fortunate spheres on the lower (and therefore more practical) half of the pillar of expansion. This road is all about cycles and prophecy. Mercy connects to background and history while Eternity embodies the energy of repetition. By examining the cycles of life, a wise person can foresee the likely events of the future. This road gives birth to the ancient proverb "History repeats itself." But the wheel also brings surprises. Give chance a chance. Good fortune awaits.
Card: The WHEEL OF FORTUNE, always turning, represents the ever-changing nature of life. But one point never moves-the center. This path seeks to guide you to that still middle point.
Challenges: Excessive behavior, obesity, overly optimistic, blind faith, fatalism and laziness.
Hebrew Letter: Kaf means "The palm of the hand." The art of palmistry postulates that a man's fortune is carved on the hand. The letter Kaf suggests that everything you need is right there in your own world. Open yourself to opportunities and allow them to flow into your life.


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Path #11 - Path of Balance - The Way of Justice

This path joins SEVERITY and BEAUTY. It focuses on balance, justice, law, peace and relationships. It is the path of lawyers, courts, contracts, compromises and negotiation. Pay extra attention to your partners and significant others. Judgements concerning issues of the heart arise often, and those on this path must make all sorts of decisions all the time. Judge wisely, with balance, and avoid swings to the extremes. This path also rules beauty, both inside and out. Those on this path often find themselves engaged in creative or artistic pursuits. Find the beauty in harmony.
Card: The LADY OF JUSTICE symbolizes the balanced decisions demanded on this route. She holds the scales of justice, but her eyes are blindfolded to prevent her from being influenced by the outer appearance of those she judges. Don't be overly swayed by external beauty. Don't let your eyes deceive your better judgement.
Challenges: Superficiality, confusing outer with inner beauty. Blindness to problems or difficulties, indecisiveness, hypocrisy.
Hebrew Letter: Lamed means both to teach and to learn. Hebrew offers no distinction between learning and teaching. A true teacher always learns when he teaches and a true student teaches while she learns. That give and take epitomizes the same balance required to build functioning relationships. Lamed stands precisely in the middle of the Hebrew alphabet, further stressing this road's mandate for equilibrium.


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Path #12 - Path of Letting Go - The Way of New Perspective

This path unites SEVERITY and SPLENDOR. Anyone walking here must learn to surrender to higher forces and trust their psychic intuition. Find the splendor in the hardships of life. It will demand that you relinquish old beliefs and behaviors, sacrifice your ego, and let go and flow with the Tao. New perspectives and ideas abound. Since this path marks the lower and more practical half of the left column, acting on all new information and instincts is also vital. Stay alert to the path's mother lode of psychic energy, telepathy, precognition and ESP.
Card: The HANGED MAN symbolizes a need to see the world in a whole new way. The card shows a man hanging upside down from a tree. By examining the world from a radically different vantage point, one discovers all sorts of new ideas, images and perspectives. This card suggests that we kill our Ego, our usual habits, and give ourselves up to higher ideals.
Challenges: Dependency and codependency, a tendency to remain stuck in destructive situations and relationships, escapism, gullibility, daydreaming, a problem differentiating between reality and fantasy.
Hebrew Letter: Mem means "water." It is one of the three maternal letters along with Aleph and Shin, which correspond to the three elements: wate

 [ send green star]

Path #13 - Path of Intimacy - The Way of Transformation

This path links BEAUTY and ETERNITY on a road designed to enhance transformation. Any kind of transformation involves a bit of death and destruction as we clear out the old and plant the new. Every death, however, is followed by a birth, by regeneration. Secrets, investigation, research, intimacy and sexuality call for attention here. This road teaches that nothing lasts forever, not even beauty. It should be respected for its great abilities both to heal and destroy. It teaches the importance of working with and combining other people's talents and money to further a higher aim.
Card: The DEATH card does not denote a literal physical death. It symbolizes the need for transformation and change. It signifies the death of a situation or attitude more then the passing of a person. Remember that all death holds the seed of rebirth inside.
Challenges: Fear of death, fear of change, fear of intimacy. Hyper-sexuality, jealousy, possessiveness, emotional manipulation and abuse. Hebrew Letter: ? Nun means "a fish" in Aramaic, an ancient language that resembles Hebrew. It evokes the fish that swims in the deep dark seas, the deep ocean that symbolizes intimacy and intense emotional energy.


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Path #14 - Path of Alchemy - The Way of the Rainbow

This path links BEAUTY AND FOUNDATION, the Sun and the Moon. It is the road of alchemy, upon which you blend all four elements to create the gold of perfection. The synchronizer-the person who understands what's in and what's out, where things grow and where they decay-will walk this way. It demands an optimistic outlook on life as well as confidence that you can overcome any obstacle and magically create what looks and sounds impossible. This path always supplies new beginnings and new opportunities.
Card: The TEMPERANCE card symbolizes the effort to balance the masculine and feminine archetypes of the universe to transmute the mundane stuff of life into the Gold of creativity and success.
Challenges: Overly optimistic and an over-reliance reliance on luck. Confusion as a result of too many options.
Hebrew Letter: Samekh translates as "Trust" or "closeness." It demonstrates the importance of certainty, trusting that no matter the impediment, failure or disaster it is there for a reason. Eventually these snags will lead to critical spiritual growth. This letter contains the secret of optimism and the constructive use of luck and synchronicities. Things change.


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Path #15 - Path of Gravity - The Way of Practicality

This path connects BEAUTY and SPLENDOR. It demands the practical implementation of a person's earthly talents and determined toil. This path offers success, but the price is patience, persistence and an element of faith as the seeker balances the restrictions of the left column with the beauty of the heart. Sincerity in word and deed is paramount. Splendor provides all the information we need, but facts and figures often mislead and deceive. Connecting to the heart ensures that the message is true. Avoid lies and the tendency toward self-absorption. Use your talents in service of others. Reach outward.
Card: The DEVIL symbolizes our own personal Underworld, the seat of the subconscious and the issues we never want to face. The Devil is the force that pulls us downward, forcing us to dig deeper. It is not evil but merely a call to practicality.
Challenges: Fear, panic, suffering and abuse of others. Too earthly, selfish and cynical.
Hebrew Letter: Ain means "eye." There is always more than what meets the eye. The inner eye can see beyond the physical form.


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Path #16 - Path of Cleansing - The Path of Truth

This path ties Victory with Splendor in a journey that cleanses with fire, the most powerful form of purification we know. It is one of the three paths (along with #4 and #8) that joins the right and left pillars. It purges all false philosophies in preparation for a paradigm shift. It is not easy to set fire to something that you believe you need. It is even harder to sever yourself from someone you love. In order to connect the two opposing pillars on a practical level, we must cut out all extremes on both sides. It might require the elimination of anyone and anything that we cling to too tightly.
Card: The TOWER, a depiction of the Tower of Babel being destroyed by a lightning bolt, represents our Ego. The destruction of the tower denotes the elimination of everything that blocks us from our true identity.
Challenges: Violence, aggression, and self-centeredness.
Hebrew Letter: Pey means "mouth." The Greeks call it Pi, a symbol known for its importance in geometry and architecture. The mouth wields the power to speak kind words, but it also can kill and destroy.


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Path #17 - Path of Righteousness - The Path of the New Age

This path joins ETERNITY TO FOUNDATION on the road of the New Age-the age of the reign of Light. It merges the expansive giving nature of the right pillar with the reproductive force of Foundation. It is the path of givers, altruists and the Water Bearer, who selflessly bestows the water of life to all. Hope, future and helping others reign. People on this course often seem a bit kooky, but they must not be dissuaded from their unique mission. Rebels, innovators and geniuses who strive for a new way find their strength here.
Card: The STAR depicts a woman who pours el

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Path #18 - The Path of the Mystic - The Way of the Scarab

The path connects KINGDOM, our material world, with the ETERNITY of the divine realm. It is the road of the Scarab, the holy beetle of ancient Egypt that rolls the Sun back into the sky every dawn. Here we encounter the threshold that joins the spiritual with the earthly. Focus on using the material to enhance the spiritual (donations and philanthropic work) as well as on using the spiritual to increase the material (creative visualization). The subconscious and psychic energies reward those on this journey. The sensitive and imaginative on this road often channel information from higher dimensions. This mystical path can be difficult, but those who dare it are often able to open new worlds for themselves and others.
Card: The MOON connects to dreams, meditation and the ability to see in the darkness of the night. The Moon functions as the doorway to the feminine powers and mysteries. Only through love can they be unveiled.
Challenges: Illusions, wrong turns, gullibility, dependency, a lack of limits and boundaries. Losing yourself in the other, addictions, escapism, alcohol and drugs.
Hebrew Letter: Kof means "Back of the head." Scientists have discovered that this part of the brain regulates dreaming and sleep. The letter, a glyph that looks like the back of the head and the spinal cord, emphasizes the need for meditation, dreaming and spiritual practice.


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Path #19 - Path of Life - The Way of the Child

This path links Foundation with Splendor on a creative journey of fulfillment, success and spirituality. Known as the path of the Solar Child, it brings ecstasy and a complete surrender to the dance of life. Vitality and freedom rule. Charismatic leaders, who rely on joyous persuasion rather than coercion, walk here, making others happy with their own happiness. Laughter is their flag. But you must remember that the energy comes from on high, not from yourself alone.
Card: The SUN represents the central gravitational pull of our solar system. Everything revolves around it. This card evokes a childlike innocence that is also powerfully charged with the potential for growth.
Challenges: Arrogance, egoism, demanding, controlling and overly dramatic. An unhealthy need for recognition and fame.
Hebrew Letter: Resh means "head." It signifies the top dog, the leader of all the planets. The head, our brain, rules our body, interpreting all the sensory stimuli that connect us to the outside world.


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Path #20 - Path of Resurrection - The Way of Rebirth

This path unites KINGDOM, the material plane, with SPLENDOR on a road of resurrection. It stands for Judgement Day, the moment when everything that is dead or swept under the carpet returns to the Light. Take care of your past and the collective past of all sentient beings. Bring dead feelings and dead ideas back to life. Before we experience enlightenment, everything must be exposed to Light and healed. This is a path for self-analysis; not to find fault or pin blame, but to fix and correct all wounds. We need the past to help us avoid a repetition of our mistakes. Those who walk on this road possess the strength to handle any demons they might uncover.
Card: JUDGEMENT symbolizes not a day of punishment, but a time to reflect on our past behavior. This card triggers the resurrection of the divine powers in each of us.
Challenges: Getting lost in the past, manipulative, abusive.
Hebrew Letter: Shin means "Tooth," the organ that sows wisdom (wisdom tooth). And just as teeth can be used to determine a person's age (long in the tooth), Shin helps us reflect on our days gone by. As one of the three maternal letters (along with Aleph and Mem), Shin rules the element of fire.


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Path #21- The Path of the Earth - The Way of the Physical Existence

This final path ties FOUNDATION and KINGDOM, bringing everything from above into the material plane of physical existence. Governed by Saturn, the planet responsible for crystallizing thoughts into matter, this road transforms the intangible into concrete blocks of reality. The sphere of Foundation blends all the power of the first nine spheres and then shoots it into Kingdom. It is the path of completion, the path that connects the Moon with Earth. It requires patience and persistence. Just as it took human evolution millions of years to send a man to the Moon, it will take time and work before all your own personal projects, all your own personal karma, blossom once and for all.
Card: The UNIVERSE depicts a woman dancing with a snake. The woman represents Eve, who has attained enlightenment by making peace with the very creature that caused her fall from paradise. By embracing your enemies and setbacks, you can transcend the limitations of matter.
Challenges: Frustration, lack of persistence, falling into a rut. Overly stubborn and materialistic. A tendency to misuse other people and step over bodies to achieve your own goals.
Hebrew Letter: Tav, the final letter, means "cross," "sign" or "tone." It denotes the cross, the sign or the song set down at the end of the road as a symbol of triumph and dreams fulfilled. It is the flag stuck into the surface of the moon, into your new frontier.

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Kabbalah is not a philosophy or theosophy. Kabbalah is work to be done. The kabbalists of the past were people of action, not people of theory or philosophy. They were constantly traveling from town to town, giving charity, and assisting people in creating better lives for themselves.

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                           Kabbalahthoughts

October 6, 2008 —

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The “Everything”

October 3, 2008 — kabbalahthoughts

Regarding the “everything,” called above reason, one should try to work with gladness since through gladness the true measure of the everything appears.  If one had no gladness then one should afflict oneself at having no gladness, since this is the primary place of the work, to discover the gladness by working above reason.

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September 26, 2008 — kabbalahthoughts

True Desire

And only if that person has a true desire will he receive help from Above.  And he is constantly shown how he is at fault in his present state.  Namely, he is sent thoughts and views, which are against the work.  This is in order for him to see that he is not one with the Lord.  And as much as he overcomes, he always sees how he is farther from holiness than others, who feel that they are one with the Creator.

 

Baal HaSulam

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Some relationships feed us and make us better people and others just drain us. It’s obvious why we maintain the good ones, but why do we hold onto bad friends, lovers, and relatives?

Guilt? Fear of being alone? Thoughts that one day we’ll get something from these people? Afraid of hurting them? Forget it. If an emotional tie is no longer serving you, then it’s no longer serving you.

Think of it this way - relationships are like bonfires - they require constant oxygen and firewood (ie. love and attention.) When we keep a bunch of fires burning because we’re afraid to let them die out, (I’ll call you soon, we really have to get together) it just sucks up our life force. There’s only so much fuel we can give out at one time.

Imagine if you could pour all of your love, compassion and oxygen into the ones that you are absolutely committed to (or would like to be committed to.)

It’s a big risk to let those little fires burn out. But the benefit is that it frees up your energy to devote to building up other fires that do serve you.

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The main idea of Jewish prayer is to connect to G-d. But how can a finite, limited human being connect to an infinite, unlimited G-d? Really, it should be impossible. But G-d wants a relationship with us, so He "limited" Himself. He did this by expressing Himself in creation. The world we live in is actually an expression of G-d. Just like a piece of music is an expression of the musician who wrote it, and a painting is an expression of the painter, so too this world and everything in it is G-d's work of art. We can't see G-d but we can see His creation. So just like by looking at a painting or hearing a song we can get a feeling of who the artist is, by observing the beauty of this world, its complexity and its rhythms we can begin to appreciate G-d.

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Why are we afraid of taking risks?  We're afraid to sacrifice our ego.

Getting hurt, rejected, bloodied and bruised — this is all pain felt by the ego.  When we're afraid to go onstage to address a crowd of 1,000 people, or trembling in our boots before asking someone out, is it our soul that's afraid?  No. 

And by ego, I'm not referring to pride or self-centeredness.  I'm referring to anything that's not of the spirit.

In the end, (or in the beginning, depending on how you look at it) all the gifts we have come from the Light.  When we're taking a risk, all that we are putting on the line is our ego. 

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Kabbalah is a method of revealing divinity to a person who is in this world. It explains to us the purpose of life and how to fulfill this purpose. Kabbalah sheds light on the processes we go through during our lives. It also describes what happens to the soul after life in this world ends.

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The Kabbalah of the Tallit
By Aron Moss

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Some relationships feed us and make us better people and others just drain us. It’s obvious why we maintain the good ones, but why do we hold onto bad friends, lovers, and relatives?

Guilt? Fear of being alone? Thoughts that one day we’ll get something from these people? Afraid of hurting them? Forget it. If an emotional tie is no longer serving you, then it’s no longer serving you.

Think of it this way - relationships are like bonfires - they require constant oxygen and firewood (ie. love and attention.) When we keep a bunch of fires burning because we’re afraid to let them die out, (I’ll call you soon, we really have to get together) it just sucks up our life force. There’s only so much fuel we can give out at one time.

Imagine if you could pour all of your love, compassion and oxygen into the ones that you are absolutely committed to (or would like to be committed to.)

It’s a big risk to let those little fires burn out. But the benefit is that it frees up your energy to devote to building up other fires that do serve you.

As you’re reading this, what person is flashing through your mind? Maybe it’s time to let that fire burn out.
Yehuda Berg

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Kabbalah is not a philosophy or theosophy. Kabbalah is work to be done. The kabbalists of the past were people of action, not people of theory or philosophy. They were constantly traveling from town to town, giving charity, and assisting people in creating better lives for themselves.

This is why, in addition to classes and events, The Kabbalah Centre has created The Kabbalah Centre Charitable Foundation. The Foundation is committed to sharing financial aid and other resources to people in need, as well as creating long-term programs that benefit the local and global community. This is achieved by identifying urgent and critical needs around the world and establishing effective responses that adequately address these individual circumstances.

Our programs are run and staffed primarily by student volunteers of The Kabbalah Centre. Volunteering is one of the most powerful ways to take the wisdom and tools of Kabbalah and put them into action: to share with others, and in doing so manifest miracles in your own life.

The Kabbalah Centre Charitable Foundation is built on the efforts and Light brought by its volunteers. Each individual comes with his or her own magic.

If you are interested in bringing your magic to one of our charitable projects, contact your local Kabbalah Centre volunteer coordinator today or call 1-800-KABBALAH.

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Do not console him while his dead lays in front of him.

Meaning:

• This phrase is relating to two major issues. The first is guarding one's tongue. In every situation one must think thoroughly before he 'unleashes' the ties of his tongue' and omit words that would arrive to his friend's ears.

• In times of emotional distress like mourning it is advisable to keep our mouth shut and let the mourners exercise their feelings without our words penetrating their thoughts and emotions (except for the customary courteous exchange of words). The mourning and sorrow are so vast there is no space left for external emotions.

• The fact we are physically present and bring with us a positive energy of love and participation is condoling in itself and further enhances feelings of union and help.

• In times of sadness and sorrow each and every one must experience an array of feelings (Negation, Suppression, Anger, Sorrow) in order to 'surface' this experience with the upper hand and continue with his life. A quiet environment would ensure experiencing these feelings throughout!

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I've grown among wise men all my life and haven't found anything better than silence for the body.

Meaning:

• While I was growing up dozens of wise people visited my father's house. And although I've heard some wonderful wise words from them, I found the one thing that really promoted my spiritual growth, knowledge and education was keeping silence.

• By listening in silence one allows ideas to ripen, providing them with an opportunity to surface later at the right time.

• Silence engulf within a cluster of wisdom as well. The skill of silence enables one to listen anytime when words of wisdom are being said in his presence.

• The practice of silence stops one from expressing one's opinions hastily, opinions which the listener is probably familiar with. In many cases these efforts of self-expression are merely to serve one's ego. Once this need is eliminated, the background and conditions for a true spiritual growth is present.

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The wisdom of a person will illuminate his face.

Meaning:

• This phrase comes to teach us of the strong link between form and content.

• For example, a person that his face ignites interest and curiosity; Given the chance to follow his life story, we shall find a strong correlation between events this person went through and the marks left on his face.

• And as events leave their mark, so are studies and spiritual growth of a person that are able to dismount obstacles and burdens off his soul and spirit, leaving his face with the light of forgiveness, beauty and happiness.

• In addition, the wisdom within has the capacity to be radiated and enlighten the onlooker's face, since this wisdom comes from the good side of the person, resulting with bestowing graceful light on the surrounding.

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Once he drinks he forgets his studies and work.

Meaning:

• Although drinking one or two glasses is recommended in cases like meeting of friends (for adjoining their hearts) or for the joy of the holiday, this phrase come to teach us how over-drinking is 'rewarded'.

• Again, the secret of profound and true life and reality is the Rule of Confinement (RC), and acquiring the knowledge and the ability to say "no thank you!" or "no more!" is a must!

• In the case discussed here the outcome of over-drinking is clear and described in details - oblivion. But not merely forgetting some useless item, but forgetting and neglecting two of the basic most important ingredients of one's life and reality: his work and his studies - or wisdom for that matter.

• Internalizing this phrase is crucial since our work and actions are expressing our studies, thoughts and words! If we choose to annihilate these it’s as if we annihilate ourselves from this world!

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Phonetic: " Al te'hi oz'ne'cha ke'na'fa ha'mo'tzee'a et ha'ke'mach ve'ko'le'tet et ha'su'been. "

Translation: Don't let your ear be a sieve that filters out the flour and leaves the bran in.

Meaning:

• Often, following a conversation, we realize that we heard what we wanted to hear and not what was said. Apparently we were engaged during conversation in what is defined as "selective hearing": filtering out the "flour" - all that seemed irrelevant to us, leaving in the "bran" - the substance we thought useful to us.

• By doing so we managed to twist the words of our friend, leaving behind his original wishes, intentions and dreams. This cannot be defined as true listening, but as a road for negative consequences such as distancing one's friends resulting in solitude.

• Try to listen patiently and with concentration to all that is being said. Do not engage your ego; do not answer; do not form your answer; do not guess the end. Listen! The intentions of your friend will sink in, and your reaction will eventually be one of comprehension, help and compassion.

• The dialectical dynamic of conversation could come to life only with true listening. My words fertilize your thoughts. In return, your words would fertilize mine!

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Phonetic: " La'ma'kom she'anee o'hev rag'lay mo'lee'chot o'tee. "

Translation: My feet lead me to the place I love.

Meaning:

• Often one finds himself in unpleasant situations, blaming fate or luck for
  being involved. A scrutinizing look will discover it was the choices made along
  the way that resulted in that reality.

• Internalizing this wisdom should result in loving the place one "finds"
  himself - since it was his decisions that led him there, defining that place as
  the most appropriate one for him at that specific time.

• Therefore assessment and thorough contemplation of facts before any decision
  is taken is crucial. Try to examine the situation carefully and thoroughly and
  bear in mind the results of future actions.

• A powerful technique is the "five-year projection": Imagine yourself five
  years from now, and try to assess whether you would really like the place a
  specific decision had guided you to.

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PPhonetic: " Kee ye'tzer lev ha'a'dam ra mee'ne'u'rav. "

Translation: Since the human heart is bad from early years.

Meaning:

• Most teens act according to their feelings only. Predisposition regarding the welfare of the community and awareness to the consequences of their actions simply do not exist.

• In these transitional years when a child becomes a person, it is the education at home and the interaction with his peer group that shapes his moral values and his decision-making ability as a human being.

• The roll of the parents should be emphasized in the case of children growing up in a negative-influence society. In cases like these the parents should invest more in their child upbringing in order to compensate for all that he is lacking from his environment.

• Distinctions between good and evil and realizing that good deeds influence the self and the nearest environment in positive ways - these are all results of good upbringing. The struggle between good and bad will continue throughout his life, therefore good education will help in making the right decisions in the future.

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Phonetic: " Dvash ma'tza'ta e'chol da'ye'cha pen tees'be'e'nu ve'he'ke'to. "

Translation: Once you find honey eat enough for you may have too much and vomit.

Meaning:

• Honey, which symbolize in this phrase the temptations in one's life, is one of the sweetest most nutritious foods existing, and is used here to give us an important lesson: the rule of confinement.

• Honey is sweet and tempting, yet its quantity is confined by nature: the difficulty in producing it (one bee produces one and a half teaspoons of honey throughout her life), the process involved and more. Today, when everything is so accessible, even honey is abundant, and a one may consume great quantities.

• Someone that craves a great deal of "honey", meaning constantly trying to please himself, will eventually come to a vomiting phase - his body or soul will not be able to hold the excessive quantity of that sweet enjoying element. A small fire would warm one's feet but a big one would burn the house down! The honey will lose its affect and will change its meaning from something of joy to a cause of unhappiness.

• Like everything in this world, even the positive things, the sweet things, - their existence depend on the rule of confinement. Love, happiness, joy, or sadness, anger, lust - all will cease to exist without a confining force - thus prolonging their life and enforcing their reality as unique entities.

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Phonetic: " Kol she'choch'ma'to me'ru'ba mee'ma'a'sav, ein choch'ma'to meet'ka'ye'met. "

Translation: He whose wisdom is greater than his actions, his wisdom will not prevail.

Meaning:

• Often we meet people who have studied various doctrines and humanities. Is their wisdom indeed one we can learn from and practice in our own life?

• The trial of truth is the trial of action: A wisdom, which generates a positive action or behavior, will forever prevail. Can we learn the virtue of modesty from a heavy weight person who is pleasing himself with a lavish warm meal and few glasses of wine, until drunk?

• Realizing theory will not suffice is crucial: merely reading through wisdom will only give life to "a donkey with books on his back!"

• Practicing and internalizing ideas and wisdom in your everyday life is the key to success and the only way one can reach a life of profound truth.

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Phonetic: " Ko'retz a'yeen yee'ten a'tze'vet ve'e'veel sfa'ta'yeem yeel'bat. "

Translation: The winker will sorrow and the fool will waver.

Meaning:

• Often we find ourselves in social occasions in the company of people who likes to joke. And although "Laughter is good for one's health" yet when overdone, by the end of the evening one is left with a kind of sadness, for the laughter and the constant humor prevented a real interaction between friends, suppressing the dialectical dynamics of conversation.

• People usually with sadness or other negative feelings inside would often liberate themselves in the form of humor, offering their inside sadness to something one can laugh about. At times like this laughter from the listener can be encouraging, while realizing the root of the jokes.

• "The winker" (the one who winks) is a person whose heart and lips are not in sync. While saying one thing he signals with his eyes his intentions are different. The message his listener receives is - "I am not telling the truth", and although it was the winker himself who suggested that, the impression he made is of one who does not speak the truth. This impression has sunk in, and the conversation would lack a significant essence of trust.

• The fool here is a naïve person, who would have trouble recognizing "The winker" as a person with no "Truth Value" attached. Hence instead of knowing to distance himself he would dither, attracted to the superficial double meaning, and the final result would be uncertainty, doubt and sadness.adness.

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PhonePhonetic: " Ha'a'dam ein lo me'tzee'ut be'lo ee'sha. "

Translation: A person has no reality without a wife.

Meaning:

• In the story of creation (book of Genesis) it is mentioned that God created mankind as male and female and named them "person" (ADAM). Hence only through unification with a loved one can one become a person and be truly accomplished - with all the qualities a person should embody.

• In addition, the love the couple learns to give to each other invites openness that allows the world, meaning the reality around them to "enter" and immerse in their life becoming a part of them.

• The fear of getting hurt - for love can be very painful - often creates an alternative reality based on fantasies and theories that are just an excuse for not trying to change the situation.

• A lonely person would slowly turn towards himself; surround himself with rules that in most cases obey solely to his own internal legality. These rules are meant to protect his psyche from external influences that may hurt or shatter the only solid foundation in his life he has come to live with in peace.

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Phonetic: " Mu'tar ha'a'dam meen ha'be'he'ma ay'een. "

Translation: A person is not better than the animal.

Meaning:

• A human being has no advantage over animals. Many people tend to cynically use animals for our needs, justifying it by declaring humans to be superior to animals.

• Relying on physical needs only and not on morals or conscience decisions the way humans do is what characterizes Animals. By doing so the animal is staying true to its nature and acting as it was meant for it to act.

• Focusing merely on one's physical needs and neglecting the spiritual side will result in being untrue to one's nature. Overlooking the spiritual aspect of one's life is in fact failing to see the real reason one was granted a consciousness.us.usness.

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Meaning:

• Truth has it's own unique power. Even if at times it may seem that bad and evil have buried truth deep in the ground, and lies, deceit and false flattery rule, it is only a temporary state and we must realize that Truth has a great spiritual power.

• We must never be discouraged if truth and justice are unseen, even when it is for a prolonged period of time or if great efforts are being done to hide it. When the time is right Truth will emerge from the bottom of the earth and flourish.

• Do not sink into despair for not only will the Truth appear, but also it will be apparent to all.

• Staying loyal to Truth at all times is advisable even if the results are slow to come and the benefits are hidden. Truth will eventually surface and if we choose to abandon it we may find ourselves in embarrassing situations - once the Truth presents itself!

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PPPp " Ei'ze'hu gee'bor? Ha'o'se son'o o'ha'vo. "

Translation: Who is a hero? The one who turns a person's hate to love.

Meaning:

• When we meet someone with hate towards us our natural reaction is negative. Often we may wish or enact evil upon him.

• By trying to welcome our foe and regard him positively - not merely in a political way but from within - we begin to overcome our negative feelings and elevate our reaction above our instincts, resulting in a complete change of relationship.

• Often hate originates from envy and necessity. Once help is provided in a willful way a process within the other will gradually turn him from being a foe to a friend.

• The main 'engine' of this process is the heroism required to choose the higher spiritual reaction, elevating a person above his natural instincts enticing a chain of positive reactions. Approaching someone with hate, and through a series of calculated wise actions turn him into someone with love - that is heroism!

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Phonetic: " De'rech e'veel ya'shar be'ei'nav ve'sho'me'a le'etza cha'cham. "

Translation: The path of a fool is right in his eyes, but a wise man listens to advices.

Meaning:

• The path of the fool is straight and true in his eyes having no thoughts of fault decisions.

• The fool is categorized by the quality of wrong judgment: his rational world is a closed one, thus not being attentive to advices and knowledge coming from external source and wisdom.

• By expressing thoughts and ideas deriving exclusively from his own mind, he is merely heralding his ego, thus shunning himself from true wisdom.

• The wise person would listen freely to advices, ideas and knowledge that are not his. Doing so will enrich his world and wisdom while providing him with an exercise in humility!

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Phonetic: " Eem o'zen a're'la, ma ya'a'se ha'pa'a'mon? "

Translation: If an ear can't hear, what will the bell do?

Meaning:

• A bell brings the listeners reminders of hours, social gatherings, etc. Once we hear it we stop, and remember that yet another time has come - or passed.

• If a person is deaf (i.e. not listening), then all of these reminders are lost. What one should do is keep the bell inside him, pay attention, and keep an open mind for the sounds and meanings the world keeps sending us.

• In addition, this phrase introduces the concept of 'the content and the vessel'. One must look carefully upon his friend's capacity to listen and absorb. If none is apparent, one must chose to stay in silence - or modify his words.

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Phonetic: " Kol ha'po'sel be'mu'mo po'sel. "

Translation: He who criticizes testifies to his own disability.

Meaning:

• When one is mentioning or criticizing someone else's negative quality, by doing so one is attesting to one's own negative quality.

• Focusing on someone else's vice usually derives from our own same vice - hence familiar to us and easily recognizable.

• Doing so will help us all focusing only on our fellowmen positive qualities, generating constructive energy and enabling better communication and spiritual life of a higher value.

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Phonetic: " Yesh me'fa'zer ve'no'saf od. "

Translation: Some scatter and more is added.

Meaning:

• Scattering (squandering) is a negative trend, but when it's for the benefit of the less fortunate or for the purposes of spiritual enrichment it may seem that not only did the squanderer's fortune lack anything, but also in some mysterious way a channel of wealth had opened and the fortune only grew.

• The idea of the "Tube of Wealth" is introduced here: Once the tube's bottom is opened by giving to the unfortunate or by making a calculated investment, additional wealth can be channeled towards the generous person through the top!

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Phonetic: " Be'rov dva'reem lo yech'dal pe'sha ve'cho'sech sfa'tav mas'keel. "

Translation: Saying many things will enhance wrongdoings, while a wisdom person will 'save' his lips.

Meaning:

• When things are said without proper thought beforehand chances are some words will bear a negative quality.

• Once words are watched carefully beforehand your sayings will become more educated, intelligent and wise.

• Once practiced, assessing one's words becomes a second nature, eliminating the need of going through a rational evaluation of each and every word before speaking.

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Phonetic: " Kol ha'po'sel be'mu'mo po'sel. "

Translation: He who criticizes testifies to his own disability.

Meaning:

• When one is mentioning or criticizing someone else's negative quality, by doing so one is attesting to one's own negative quality.

• Focusing on someone else's vice usually derives from our own same vice - hence familiar to us and easily recognizable.

• Doing so will help us all focusing only on our fellowmen positive qualities, generating constructive energy and enabling better communication and spiritual life of a higher value.

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Phonetic: " Ha'keen'a ha'ta'a'va ve'ha'ka'vod mo'tzee'eem et ha'a'dam meen ha'o'lam. "

Translation: Jealousy, lust and honor will exclude a person from this world.

Meaning:

• When one feels he cannot live his life in the most profound way, it is mostly because one of these elements is seemingly in a state of deficiency.

• Jealousy of the fellow man, endless desire and unsatisfied quest for honor, make us live in constant expectations to better times when these wishes will be fulfilled.

• Satisfaction, true happiness and living life in the most profound way almost always come from the inside - by reaching for the positive elements that are inside us and are in our control - and learning to appreciate, love, nourish and cherish them.

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Phonetic: " Al tees'ta'kel ba'kan'kan e'la be'ma she'yesh bo. "

Translation: Don't look at the pot but at what's in it.

Meaning:

• Don't judge a book by its cover. Teach yourself to look into things.
  

• Occasionally we come across a shining object but of worthless value, and
  sometime something which may seem plain or out of date may reveal itself as a
  treasure of value or a useful tool.

• The same goes for new people we meet - train yourself to try and wonder what
  they are inside - and make your decisions accordingly. One must remember that
  the inside of a person - his personality, his self and soul, if going towards
  the right direction will only improve with time, while the outside, i.e. our
  bodies, will only deteriorate with time - until they vanish.

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Phonetic: " Kol ya'mai ga'dal'tee bein cha'cha'meem ve'lo ma'tza'tee la'goof tov me'shtee'ka. "

Translation: I've grown among wise men all my life and haven't found anything better than silence for the body.

Meaning:

• While I was growing up dozens of wise people visited my father's house. And although I've heard some wonderful wise words from them, I found the one thing that really promoted my spiritual growth, knowledge and education was keeping silence.

• By listening in silence one allows ideas to ripen, providing them with an opportunity to surface later at the right time.

• Silence engulf within a cluster of wisdom as well. The skill of silence enables one to listen anytime when words of wisdom are being said in his presence.

• The practice of silence stops one from expressing one's opinions hastily, opinions which the listener is probably familiar with. In many cases these efforts of self-expression are merely to serve one's ego. Once this need is eliminated, the background and conditions for a true spiritual growth is present.

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Phonetic: " Eem ta'az've'ny yom e'ez've'cha yo'ma'yeem. "

Translation: If you'd leave me for one day, I'd leave you for two.

Meaning:

• The true possession of virtues and qualities is achieved through practice set daily or at fixed times.

• Any positive behavior or good action will become a part of a person after following a long period of practicing. Only then this action, practice or belief will develop into an integral part of the person's nature and life.

• Avoiding a specific exercise or practice carries a 'penalty' - that practice or virtue will 'abandon' the avoiding person twice fold, time wise, as much as that person neglected the practice.

• A perfect example is from the physical world - the difficulties one experiences when trying to return to daily exercises after a long period of absence.

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Phonetic: " Me'va'rech Re'e'hu be'kol ga'dol ba'bo'ker hash'kem, le'kla'la ye'cha'shev lo. "

Translation: A loud greeting early morning to a friend could be considered as a curse.

Meaning:

• This phrase comes to teach us a very essential knowledge of life: the 'vessel' must fit and prepared for the light it is to withhold.

• Wanting to bestow well upon a friend is not sufficient. A person must always assess his words and an action, ensuring the recipient is prepared to accept and welcome it - or at least able to evaluate it in a clear mind.

• In this situation, although the person who greets his friend wishes well, his friend, still enclave within himself due to the early hour, considers his greeting as an unwelcome invasion of his privacy.

• In addition, morning time (in the classical way of thinking) is a time of bestowing, of giving, of sharing. So the person who greets his friend may feel, justifiably, that his actions are right. But his awareness of the internal clock of the world is less important than the effect his actions will have on the recipient.

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Phonetic: " Yo'de'a tza'deek ne'fesh be'hem'to. "

Translation: The judicious person knows the soul of his beast.

Meaning:

• Awareness of being made of body and soul is a condition for true progression. The judicious person will concentrate on both spiritual and physical aspects of life, unlike others who may concentrate merely on one of the two.

• Attention to physical needs while engaging in spiritual growth is required as well (the soul of the beast). Trying to find the right balance between the two is crucial, a balance that should be kept rigorously.

• One of the secrets to well being is finding our TRUE physical needs. We are often led to believe wrongly that a desire is a necessity. Familiarizing ourselves with 'the soul of his beast' - the true needs of our body - will eliminate such errors and will lead us towards harmonious and life.

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Phonetic: " Kee be'rov choch'ma rov ka'as, yo'seef da'at yo'seef mach'ov. "

Translation: The more wisdom the more anger, the more knowledge the more pain.

Meaning:

• We must realize: the more we understand in this world, the more we may experience distress.

• As our observation and comprehension become deeper and more professional, our sensitivity to inaccuracies or faults in the subject matter develops as well.

• This sensitivity is naturally followed by anger - that same overpowering feeling that cries towards our fellow man why reality is not according to the way my understanding and will is pointing to. We must realize this could be the price of wisdom.

• Hence the saying, "a fools' heaven" is addressed to someone whose comprehension of reality is limited. We must remember that enhancing our skills for comprehension will be followed by a greater sense of achievement in positive results, but will no doubt enhance our sense of pain and anger in a less fortunate outcome.

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Phonetic: " Al ge'chon'cha te'lech. "

Translation: On your bottom you will walk.

Meaning:

• This is another part of the curse G-d cursed the snake in the Garden of Eden. It seems only natural for the snake to stay low.

• Alas the body is the vessel of the soul. Thus if the body stays low, in the environments it feels natural in - the soul will stay low as well.

• One must always remember the connection between body and soul and the influence one has on the other - hence 'elevating' the body, or positioning yourself in a positive environment - will elevate the soul as well.

• Small changes and improvements like cleaning or fixing your house are a good example for creating a positive physical environment that immediately creates a positive emotional reaction.

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Phonetic: " A'far To'chal kol ye'mey cha'yei'cha. "

Translation: All your life you will eat earth.

Meaning:

• This is one part of the curse God cursed the snake in the Garden of Eden. Strange as it is, the snake lives in the earth, hence it seems more like a blessing: The easiest place for the snake to find his food is the earth.

• But that is the secret of this phrase: If the food, i.e. the materialistic needs of a person are easily accessible, it may become a curse, because he will be immersed in his earthly needs, neglecting his spiritual ones and forgetting the "food" for his soul.

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Phonetic: " Kol a'dam hee'no ke'ot a'chat, ve'rak be'heet'chab'ro
la'she'nee tee'va'led meela. "

Translation: Every one of us is like one letter, and only when
attached to another a new word will be born.

Meaning:

• This beautiful phrase shows us the importance of pairing and of living
  together. It emphasizes the fact that in order for our lives to reach its full
  meaning we must find a partner to live with in harmony.

• Not every two letters necessarily make a word. The letters should fit one
  another and should both belong to a certain idea so that by joining together, a
  new meaning is born.

• Just as written and spoken words have the capacity to enrich our life
  through new ideas, stories and information, two people who join can harmoniously
  stimulate both their own worlds and the one created - with thoughts, words,
  actions, and love that will last for a very long time.

 [ send green star]

Phonetic: " Lo al ha'le'chem le'va'do yeech'ye ha'a'dam. "

Translation: A person cannot live on bread alone.

Meaning:

• Sometimes in our modern way of living, we seem to get caught up in materialistic gratification and forget to invest in our spiritual needs, which are just as important to our mental and physical health.

• Thinking merely of our physical food and neglecting the spiritual one may result in low vitality.

• In addition, the word 'bread' symbolizes the connection with earth - where wheat, which is what bread is made of, comes from.

• And while one should be realistic, one should also realize that the fact his head is above all other organs is not coincidental - the wisdom inside his head can take him even higher - spiritually speaking!

 [ send green star]