Free Choice
Choices are free; it is the consequences that we pay for dearly. Or, more dearly, that pay us.
Most things in life are beyond conventional choice. We cannot choose not to breathe and remain living. We cannot choose to cease eating and expect to grow older. Like the color of our eyes, our genes, families, minds, natures, abilities, are mostly ingrained in us and beyond our will to change. True free choice is what we choose to do with these parts that make us who we are and how we choose to live with the elements at our disposal. We cannot choose not to breathe, but we can choose what to do when we do breathe. We cannot choose to cease eating, but we very well can choose what to eat and how to eat it. These are the most freeing choices of all.
A Blast in Three Dimensions
The meaning of the shofar blasts: the sounding of the shofar is more than a commandment—it is also a vehicle for repentence.
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Lech Lecha: Are You a Conformist?
Only when one leaves their comfort zone are they able to discover who they truly are.
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Vayechi: Do our Shadows have Substance?
Embracing the duality of life in both its light and dark dimensions may not lead to nirvana, but will allow one to peacefully navigate the dynamic waters.
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Yisro: Vision
Without a clear enemy, nations often lose their visions of the future. Yet, within the Torah one can find direction towards a higher purpose.
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Shemini: Religious Selfishness
Using personal anecdotes, Rabbi Jacobson explores of the side effects of practicing religion by rote, and the beauty of a true “religious” experience.
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Acharei Kedoshim: Transitions and Premonitions
A personal story about a man standing on the edge of the spiritual world is shared, followed by an examination of both spiritual and physical dimensions.
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Vayechi: Book Ends
The story of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is a blueprint that encapsulates in microcosm all the events that take place in history, both personally and globally.
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Individuality in Judaism
Freedom of expression and individuality are often quashed under religious pretenses in favor of a single-minded disciplinarian conformity.
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Back To The Roots
Today our challenge is to rise above our finite mortality, our flaws and subjectivity, and embrace G-d on G-d’s terms.
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Chaya Sarah: Tattoos
Man can transcend seemingly permanent scars or wounds – both physical and psychological – and access the inner recesses of his soul.
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Toldot: The Power of Human Exertion
Who fully grasps a concept, one who immediately comprehends it, or one who must struggle to understand it? Part five of Samech Vov discusses this question, and examines the value of human exertion.
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Vayechi: Warming The Winter
Inspiration alone is not enough, but when it is combined with effort and exertion, one can burst through his constraints and the world will open up for him.
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Simchat Torah: Bizarre Journeys
Wherever you go, as difficult as the journey may be it is all for a higher purpose: to redeem the Divine sparks that can only be found in that dark place.
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Bereishit: The Origin of Consciousness
Just like a machine cannot run if it’s not being used for what its engineer intended, we too cannot function smoothly if we are living dichotomies.
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Tazria-Metzora: Greater Expectations
Though things seem chaotic and confusing we have the ability to sort everything and find clarity bringing us to greater results than we could’ve imagined.
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Vayeitzei: Marriage: Destiny or Chance?
Is marriage predestined or dependent on your efforts? There are many opinions but all agree that though G-d’s predestined it we have the power to change it.
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Tazria: Bad Religious Experiences Part 2
With the breakdown of authority, it is absolutely critical to ensure that each of us “own” our choices; that the path of faith become your path, not someone else’s.
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The Calling of Our Generation
The 20th century experienced some of the worst destruction and greatest advances this world has ever seen. In light of this dynamic globe, what is the purpose of our generation?
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Beyond Virtue
In practical terms being holy means going out of your comfort zone and conventional behavior.
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Toldot: Beyond Life And Death
My granddaughter just arrived from another world, and has brought us a message of hope. Despite the tragic losses and senseless pain, beyond the incomprehension of it all, life is born yet again.
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Vayeishev: Madoff And Holtzberg
If money is the source of your power and security, than money will also be your source of destruction and disgrace. Because after all, money is transient, and anything transient can never provide the firm foundation of security.
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Behar-Bechukotei: Jerusalem 2009
Take the “scoundrel” by its throat and strangle it. Not with your hands or with violence, but with light. Strangle darkness with light. Asphyxiate pain with joy.
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Vaetchanan: Religion and Ethics
What should our attitude and response be when we witness Rabbis arrested in chains?
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How the Alter Rebbe Changed the World
Over two centuries ago Rabbi Schneur Zalman presented us with an invaluable model of life that can be appreciated now more than ever. Freud and his colleagues may be the fathers of psychology today. But the Alter Rebbe is the true father of the psychology of tomorrow.
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Vayeirah : G-d’s Mysterious Ways
Our relationship with G-d is a two-way street: The more we immerse ourselves in our calling and the more dedicated we become to our mission, the more access we gain to the deeper mysteries of life.
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Are You Damaged Goods?
So there you have the psychology of Chassidus: There is no such thing as damaged goods.
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An Omnipotent G-d versus Free Will
Man does not intrinsically possess the capacity to freely determine his actions; rather, freedom of choice has been granted to man by an omnipotent G-d. “If G-d knows what I’m going to do, how could I have chosen?” is more a difficulty of our time-contexted perception than a true logical paradox.
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Individuality and Religion: A Frank Discussion About the Divine Service of Individualism
Most people would assume that religion is quite conformist, because it has a set of laws—it’s not moral relativism. That is flawed thinking, based on untrue assumptions about the nature of the self and the nature of G-d. Learn why in this frank discussion with Rabbi Simon Jacobson.
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The Determined Chooser: Choice vs Determinism
How much control do we really have over our actions? So can man be held accountable for his behavior? Is the good we do truly to our credit? Is the evil our fault? Isn’t it all a matter of genes and environment? A discussion of choice vs determinism.
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The World is a Ball: Spirituality in Soccer
In addition to the games’ entertainment and therapeutic uses, there is some significant lesson-taking to be gleaned from the hidden spirituality in soccer. A discussion in the spirit of the Baal Shem Tov, the founder of Chassidism.
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A Change of Heart: A Chassidic Story About Teshuvah
“To truly experience teshuvah,” concluded Rabbi Schneur Zalman, “is to experience the same degree of regret over one’s past actions as was experienced by the peasant from Shklov as the raging river swept him away.”
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Faith, Reason, and Predetermined Choice.
A deep exploration of the balance between the deterministic character of the universe, and the freedom of choice that we all hold so dear.
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The Meaning: You Shall Be Holy for I Am Holy
What does the commandment “You shall be holy for I am holy” mean? Our relationship with G-d is complex. We contribute as much and even more than we receive.
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Does evil come from G-d?
Philosophers and theologians of all ages have asked: Does evil come from G-d? If G-d is the essence of good, can there be evil in His work?
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Free Choice
The ultimate criterion of “free choice” is not “Is it determined?” but “What determines it?” Every choice is determined by something, be it a rational motive or an intuitive flash of no traceable origin. True choice is when one’s course of action is determined by, and only by, the very quintessence of self.
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The Rebbe On Why Moses Broke the Tablets
In breaking the tablets, Moses was acting on his own, contrary to his divine mission to deliver G-d’s Torah to the world. In breaking the tablets, Moses, who could not presume that G-d was to replace the first tablets with a second pair, was eradicating his very being, his very raison d’etre, for the sake of his people.
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Did G-d Want Adam and Eve to Eat the Fruit?
Did God want Adam and Eve to eat the fruit from the tree of knowledge? What does this say about the existence of good and evil in the world, and purpose?
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The Determined Chooser
“Choice vs. Determinism.” How much control do we really have over our actions?
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Free Choice
Free choice is a “a fundamental principle” of Jewish faith according to Maimonides. Parshat Devarim addresses the apparent contradictions of this principle
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The Eastern Colonists
Chassidic explanation of the difference between the Spies and later the Tribes of Reuben and Gad who requested land east of the Jordan re divine sparks.
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Joseph’s Calf
Jacob and Joseph teach us about our responsibility for things that are in our control and even that which happens outside of our control.
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The Brick Factory
In Egypt, the slaves became the Jewish nation while baking bricks. These bricks show man’s power to build and be “partners in creation.”
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A Jew in Madagascar
A freely-translated excerpt from a letter the Rebbe wrote in the fall of 1961 to a Jewish woman living in Madagascar.
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Olympic Thoughts
Sports are all consuming in today’s society, but what can we learn from this about reality and illusion?
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Reeh: Boundaries
This week’s Torah portion deals with blessings and curses. In the face of world tragedies, how does the Torah explain the reconciliation of both?
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Shoftim: Katrina And Gaza
Rabbi Jacobson’s answer to a question about the link between the Israeli evacuation from Gaza with the catastrophic devastation of by Hurricane Katrina.
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Netzovim – Vayeilech: Birthing
Samech Vav, part 19 discusses the renewed light that shines on the eve of Rosh Hashana, a light which is relevant to each of us as a unique being…
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Spiritual Futures
Every man can grant G-d a kinyan in his life, asserting mind over heart until only his g-dly drives come to fruition.
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Simchat-Torah: From Chickens to Vegetables
As we move right along from fauna to flora, from swirling chickens before Yom Kippur to thrusting shrubs on Sukkot, the holidays have an organic nature…
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Train Journey
Using the metaphor of a railway journey, there are two possible routes the Redemption may come about – it may be hastened or come in its time.
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The Doorway of Choice
Free choice; good and evil: the deeper significance of the divine voice’s “short stop” at the doorway of the Sanctuary.
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Free Agent
In the case of the Spies in Parshat Shelach G-d said, “I’m not telling you what to do—do as you see fit.” G-d was opening a new arena of human potential.
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Self-Styled Spies
In Parshat Shelach, the distinction in wording between “spies” and “scouts” makes all the difference in understanding the tragedy of the Twelve Spies.
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Subjective Judge
Insight into judgement: The only power on earth or heaven that can judge man is man himself.
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The “Impossible” Dream
Caleb’s role in the tragic story of The 12 Spies in Parshat Shelach.
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A Slumber and a Headache
Revisiting the 42-stationed journey in the desert from the Exodus of Egypt (that marked our birth as a nation) to our entry into the Land of Israel.
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Beyond Structure
Purim: It’s not our logic & plans that run the world but a higher force that may manifest in random experiences within which lies the greatest power of all.
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In The Beginning
While many people focus on the debate between evolution and creation, they often overlook a more important question about responsibility to a Creator.
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When No is Greater than Yes
Avoiding the wrong thing is better than doing the right thing; protecting is better than serving (Samech Vav) as seen in Parshat Naso and the wilderness.
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Think Different
We must see current events as a unique opportunity to wake up: This is our time to affect real change, it is time to start thinking and acting differently.
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Are You Your Own Worst Enemy?
The great gift of Torah is that it provides us with a Divine blueprint on how to live our lives. Your unique mission statement is embedded within you.
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Will G-d Strike Me With Lightning?
Seven myths and facts about the ancient mystical Jewish view on the relationship between our choices and their outcomes…
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Messenger or Matchmaker
Ultimate commitment is when an independent thinker chooses to dedicate himself to a cause greater than himself, to be a messenger and extension of it.
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Is G-d Vulnerable?
True love means being vulnerable. Our relationship with G-d is one of vulnerability and equal dependence on each other.
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Can We Change Our Personalities?
By seeing ourselves as Divine we can begin looking at the universe in a new way and then recognize our ability to change existence as a whole.
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The Two Floods
In our lives we have both options: A deluge of waters that will overwhelm and destroy us; or a deluge of Divine knowledge that submerges us in its watery embrace.
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Righteous and Just
Abraham’s mandate is as important today as ever. And his persistence teaches us the power of one individual’s choice, how much it can accomplish.
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Between a Rock and a Hard Place
When confronted with a challenge, the best approach to overcome it is to keep moving forward.
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Joy and Depression
We have the power and ability to bring true and lasting joy into our lives, despite all circumstances.
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Storming Heaven
Look with selfish eyes and you see selfishness all around you. Peer with selfless eyes and you see selflessness all around you.
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Drugs – Strange Fire
A soul burning with fiery passion is an incredible asset, but lack of self-control coupled with the pursuit of selfish desires lead to disaster.
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Are You Unique?
Become a giver, instead of a taker, and you will find the courage to be yourself, to finally allow your unique voice to play its own music.
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Dancing Particles
Your soul has a mission whose contract has been renewed. This is your personal mission statement – the reason you are here on earth.
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Beyond the New Year
The book of Genesis ends as the year ends. But our book just begins. What will your story be? It’s up to you.
Eight Steps to Breaking Bad Habits
The following eight steps, based on ancient knowledge of harnessing the true power of your mind, can help you to move beyond your bad habits. If you can pick up a habit, you can break it.
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Moral Choices You Can Make Now
Theme: Moral Choices
Morality lays at the heart of every healthy society. An ethical set of values is what creates wholesome relationships and families. Here are a few basic principles that will help you assess your value system.
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The Talking Donkey
The talking donkey in Parshat Balak reveals a phenomenon new to modern psychology— listening to our body’s voice, which carries messages, memories & power.
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Elitism: Are We All Created Equal?
Parshat Pinchas helps unravel the yichus dilemma – illuminating the balance between elitism & the masses; individuality and responsible leadership.
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Do You Have Healthy Boundaries?
Discover the infinite power of the finite and understand why healthy structure in relationships, is the key to experiencing transcendence of all structure.
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When No Is Greater Than Yes
Discover the mystery of quietude, a powerful innate force inside all of us. Learn how to actualize this enormous strength, the power of no over yes.
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How Crazy Are You?
Learn what happens when we access the true nature of our psyches. Discover the secret of madness, and the mystery of our innermost souls.
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How to Find Your Own Voice: The Flame That Rises on Its Own
How much of your life reflects your own exclusive personality, and how much of it is living up to other people’s expectations and opinions?
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Are you Battle-Weary? Transcending Life’s Struggles
The secret to winning your battles lies not in your fighting skills and strategies, but in your attitude and mindset even before you engage in battle.
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Keep On Going
Even if something bad happened to you yesterday, today is a new day with new possibilities — so keep on going.
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Your Thoughts CAN Create Your Reality
Join Rabbi Jacobson for this important pre-Rosh Hashana talk and discover new vistas of your soul, that when tapped, go beyond the usual cause and effect forces of life. Learn how your mind and mindset have the strength to change the course of your future.
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Free Will
Theme: Letting Go of Control
The most fundamental concept in all Jewish thought: You have the ability to transcend your circumstances.
Explaining Corruption to Children
When the day comes that our children are old enough to be confused by the dissonance around us, and they approach us with their questions, here are some words that we can offer.
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