Imagine you were a duck! or at least you thought so. Imagine you had feathers and you have been cruising around lakes with other ducks, since you can remember. Imagine one day you discover that you are really not a duck! You are actually an eagle! Can you imagine it? Can you feel the fresh crisp air 200 feet up and soaring around miles of beauty you never knew existed!

Consider this: The journey of humanity as a whole and the history of the Jewish people is kind of like that. It is too difficult to imagine how our ancestors from 150 years ago would react if they suddenly were introduced to the tech world we live in today 2017. Would they think we are some sort of aliens? Running water in our homes, cars, airplanes, the internet and the list is endless. Indeed a quantum leap technologically speaking. 

Alongside the quantum leap of science, is the Lurianic quantum leap of Mystical Torah insights. 

Today marks the yahrtzeit i.e. the anniversary of the great mystic Torah scholar, Rabbi Yizchock Luria aka the Arizal. Born in Jerusalem, in his short life of 38 years, the Arizal would become known as the greatest kabbalists of all times. The study of Kabbalah is the spiritual science of our universe. Kabbalah provides us with an entirely new way of understanding our universe, who we are and what we are here to do. At the core, these teachings unlock and reveal the spiritual DNA through which G-d creates of our very existence. 

The Zohar, the fundamental teachings of the Kabbalah, interprets a verse in the Torah portion of Noah as a prophecy: "In the six hundredth year of the sixth [millennium, i.e., around the year 1840], the gates of supernal wisdom and the wellsprings of earthly wisdom will open up. This will prepare the world to be elevated in the seventh [millennium, i.e., the messianic era]."

"Supernal wisdom" refers to the hidden mystical wisdom of the Torah, while "earthly wisdom" refers to secular knowledge. Indeed, the era referred to in the Zohar's prophecy, saw an explosion of knowledge, both in the realm of rational articulation of the inner secrets of Torah as well as in the realm of revolutionary scientific discoveries.

For years these teachings were only available to a handful of Torah scholars. It is only very recently that these teachings have become available to the masses. In fact much of it you can find on our site:

The newly-revealed mystical teachings are a foretaste of the spiritual climate of the messianic era. At that time, our perception of Divinity, the physical eye will be able to see the Divine energy that sustains the world. Modern technology affords us a glimpse into such empirical perception of Divinity. For example, the knowledge that a telephone or radio can enable us to hear a voice from the other side of the world gives us an empirical example of the concept that God sees and hears all that occurs in the universe.

Today is an auspicious time to read some of the teachings of the Arizal and to start your journey into the mystical teachings of the Torah. May we merit real soon to the time of peace with the coming of Moshiach now! 

Please join us for Shabbat services tomorrow!

Shabbat Shalom

Rabbi Levi Cunin

Next week, Jews around the world will mourn the destruction of our Holy Temple in Jerusalem over 2,000 years ago. One would expect to find some sort of closure after all this time, but we continue to mourn its destruction and cling to its memory.

And it's not as if we haven't had other, more recent, equally horrific tragedies. At this point, the destruction of the Temple should feel obsolete, even irrelevant.

But we are primarily a spiritual people, and the Temple was more than just an architectural wonder. It was the focal point of our collective spiritual mission, the center from which we became a light unto the nations, spreading light and holiness out to the rest of the world.

The Temple's destruction, a direct consequence of our sins, to this day represents our failure to effectively carry out our G‑d-given spiritual mission. So when we mourn the destruction of the Temple on the 9th of Av, we aren't lamenting the loss of the actual building, beautiful though it was. We are yearning for the spiritual life that we were able to experience at that time, and for the opportunity to share it with others.

True, there may have been far greater physical tragedies throughout our history, but none as symbolic of the profound spiritual loss we experienced.

On the 9th of Av, we beseech G‑d for ability to succeed at our spiritual mission and for the ability to convey to our children the value of our role in the Jewish nation.

May we merit the arrival of the Moshiach and the rebuilding of the Third temple speedily—before the 9th of Av even arrives!