An inherent law in creation is that the Creator lowers the haughty to ground-level zero but uplifts the humble above the clouds. No one should ever disdain another human being, for often, there's a turnaround, as Rebbe Nachman shows us in Part 2 of "The Clever One and the Simple… [Read more...]

Rebbe Nachman’s classic tale inspired me to compose this melody. Not only is this my favorite story, but the “Simple One” is my favorite character. It’s the story of the underdog. Wherever he goes, people are smarter, stronger and more talented than he is. He’s the… [Read more...]

No other creation in the universe has the attribute of free choice, for no other creation has a Divine soul, a human soul and an animal soul. By learning the anatomy of free choice, we see how the human can rise higher than an angel or lower than a beast of… [Read more...]

Like all of Rebbe Nachman's tales, "The Clever One and the Simple One" is a kaleidoscope. Superficially, it's a guide to success and happiness. On a deeper level, it signifies the battle between simple emuna and intellectual sophistication. Today's lesson introduces us to our two… [Read more...]

There's no escape from the world of stress. But we can cope, even be happy. We only need to learn a bit of spiritual… [Read more...]

The thoughts of an IDF fighter in Gaza: the question, "Do we know what we're fighting for" helps us reassess our priorites in life in two short… [Read more...]

Despite the cryptic inferences in this story as in all of Rebbe Nachman's tales, we can understand on a personal level. This tale maps our individual journey of searching and finding… [Read more...]

Only seven short weeks prior, the People of Israel were still slaves in Egypt. But now, they willingly accepted a different type of servitude, accepting the yoke of the Torah and its commandments. They had no idea of what to expect. Three Hebrew words changed the course of history. The greatest… [Read more...]

For peaceful interpersonal relationships, we all must avoid projecting our own weaknesses, insecurity and character flaws on others. Those who see their own faults in their fellow humans look at the world through spiritually-smudged lenses. As such, they arrive at quick judgments and sorely… [Read more...]

This is the most illogical message you'll hear all year, but emuna not only has nothing to do with logic - it overrides logic. People wonder why the Almighty dosn't grant them their wishes. By virtue of internalizing today's lesson, your prayers will be answered for the very… [Read more...]

How can a Jew possibly survive a world full of tyrant kings, inquisitions, pogroms and worse? Rebbe Nachman's tale provides the unexpected answer, which is also a template of world events, past and… [Read more...]

In our fourth and concluding lesson in the Book of Ruth, we see the roundabout measures that Hashem takes, within the apparent framework of nature, to fool the Evil Inclination and bring… [Read more...]