Tag Archives: Arizal

Physical Blemishes & Spiritual Heights

In this week’s parasha, Emor, we read:

Speak to Aaron and say: No man of your offspring throughout the ages who has a defect shall be qualified to offer the food of his God. No one at all who has a defect shall be qualified: no man who is blind, or lame, or has a limb too short or too long; no man who has a broken leg or a broken arm; or who is a hunchback, or a dwarf, or who has a growth in his eye, or who has a boil-scar, or scurvy, or crushed testes. No man among the offspring of Aaron the priest who has a defect shall be qualified to offer to God by fire; having a defect, he shall not be qualified to offer the food of his God. (Leviticus 21:17-21)

Kohen Lighting Temple Menorah (Courtesy: Temple Institute)

The Torah seems to be saying that any kohen with a physical disability or serious blemish is disqualified from serving God. Some are understandably distraught by this—after all, is it a person’s fault that they were born lame, or with dwarfism, or have a cancerous growth, or suffered a serious injury resulting in a disability? Why should this disqualify a person from serving God? Are they somehow “less” because of a disability? Why the apparent discrimination?

This position appears to be exacerbated by a Talmudic teaching that “the Shekhinah only rests upon a person who is wise, strong, wealthy, and of great statute.” (Shabbat 92a) A similar teaching elsewhere is that “the Holy One, Blessed be He, rests His Shekhinah only upon one who is strong, and wealthy, and wise, and humble.” (Nedarim 38a) So, does that mean that if one is not physically strong or healthy, they cannot merit to have the Shekhinah dwell upon them? How do we make sense of these perplexing statements? Continue reading →

Erev Rav (Video)

Who is the Erev Rav, the “Mixed Multitude”, first mentioned in Exodus? How do they return and manifest in every generation? And why are they locked in a cosmic battle with Moses that spans all of human history? Find out in this class as we being to explore the mysterious and dangerous Erev Rav phenomenon, and what we can do to defeat this ideology—which the Zohar says is a necessary precursor to the Final Redemption and the forthcoming Messianic Age.

For a written summary and lots more information, see here.
For the previous class that explored the Erev Rav’s connection to the Tree of Knowledge, see ‘Queen Esther’s Kabbalah’.
For more on the “quantum brain” theory and a scientific explanation for reincarnation, see here.

Queen Esther’s Kabbalah

Revealing the hidden wisdom in the Book of Esther. Along the way, we explore the Seven Prophetess of Israel, the Ten Sefirot, the mysterious “Erev Rav”, and Esther’s incredible prophecy of the Nuremberg Trials. Plus: why is the number three so important in Judaism, and what is the deeper meaning behind the triangle and the Star of David?

For the previous class on ‘King Solomon’s Kabbalah’, see here.
For more ‘Secrets of Purim’, see here.