Tag Archives: Octagrammaton

Kabbalah of Music (Video)

What role did music play in Creation? And what is the song of Mashiach? Which instruments did King David play? Find out in this class where we explore the mystical power of music, the divine octave, the musical notes of the Torah, and much more. Also discussed: where did the Breslover Hasidic “Na Nach” concept come from? Can a Jew listen to the church music of Bach? And what is the significance of the number 91?

This class is based on the essays ‘Kabbalah of Music and the Piano’ and ‘Listening to Non-Jewish Music’ from the newly-released third volume of Garments of Light, available here.

The Meaning and Power of “Amen”

In this week’s parasha, Ki Tavo, the Israelites are presented with a list of curses that they would bring upon themselves if they did not fulfil God’s commands. In the first set of curses, the Israelites answer each statement with “amen”, a term connoting agreement and acceptance. The now-ubiquitous term is actually quite rare in the Tanakh. In the Torah itself it appears in only one other context with the same meaning (Numbers 5:22). What does “amen” really mean, and why is it recited at the end of blessings? Why does it have the power to include its reciter in another person’s mitzvah? Continue reading →

The Kabbalah of Music and the Piano

In parashat Korach, we read how “the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up, and their households, and all the men that were with Korach” (Numbers 16:32). Evidently, Korach and his entire family perished. Yet, later on the Torah tells us: “And the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up with Korach… but the sons of Korach did not die.” (Numbers 26:10-11) Apparently, his sons actually survived! We know this must be the case because there are a number of Psalms (such as numbers 42 to 49) which begin with a byline saying they were written by the “sons of Korach”. How is this possible?

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