Tag Archives: Four Who Entered Pardes

Do Angels Have Free Will?

‘Abraham and the Three Angels’ by James Tissot

This week’s parasha, Vayera, begins with Abraham’s famous encounter with three angels (Genesis 18). Abraham gives them water to wash their feet and proceeds to feed them a multi-course meal. There brings up a classic question: did the angels actually eat? Are angels not entirely spiritual beings? How could they have their feet washed, and physically consume Abraham’s food? Are angels biological beings, or not? And, relatedly, do angels have any kind of free will, or are they simply “robotic” agents of God?

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Wormholes & Stargates in the Torah

What is kefitzat haderekh, the mystical ability to “contract the earth”? Do we find evidence of wormholes and “stargates” in Scripture? What was the Tower of Babel generation actually trying to accomplish? What happens in each of the “Seven Heavens”, and what are the seven Heavenly “portals” mentioned in the Torah? Find out in this eye-opening class that explores wormholes, stargates, and other mysterious phenomena from a Biblical and scientific perspective. Plus: Were the pyramids actually power plants? Is there a scientific explanation for Adam’s 930-year lifespan? And what is the shape of the universe?

Understanding Names of God #2: YHWH & Adonai

What is the proper pronunciation of YHWH, the Ineffable Name? What is the related “12-Letter Name of God” and the mystical “42-Letter Name of God”? Are they allowed to be verbalized? Why do we say “Adonai” in place of YHWH, and who was the first to do this? Plus: How do we deal with physical descriptions of God in Scripture? And what is so special about turning 35 years old?