Alexander Poltorak

In order to discuss various levels of Torah interpretation we must understand how the various levels of Divine emanation manifest themselves in different domains of existence. The levels of Divinity are represented by the four letters of the ineffable pro...

The arrow of mezuzah is pointing inward and upward. It is pointing to a Higher Purpose. But what exactly is this Purpose? The idea that the Creation is purposeful is central to Judaism. In truth, we cannot genuinely know what exactly this purpose is, for ...

Zoharic literature identifies mezuzah with the Sefirah of Malkhuth Malchuth is the last Sefirah, which serves as a channel for the Divine light. A doorway may be also viewed as a channel leading into a house or a room, hence the parallel. Furthermore, ant...

The Law requires checking the mezuzoth twice within seven years. On the surface the reason for this seems obvious: the mezuzah may contain a mistake which may not be apparent in the initial inspection but may turn up in a later check-up; as the elements e...

Two Modes of the Divine Service Generally, there are two modes of Divine service: bringing down holiness from above and elevating the lower worlds into higher spiritual realms. Our Patriarchs Abraham and Isaac personify these two modes of service. As our ...

The ultimate religious experience is described in Jewish sacred literature as Devekuth. The word devekuthliterally means attachment, cleaving or adhesion. It refers usually to attachment to G-d, or to Shekhinah--G-d's Presence. Yitzhak Buxbaum translates ...

A mezuzah is traditionally written on 22 lines, corresponding to the 22 letters of the Alef Beth. These 22 letters together with 10 numbers-sefiroth (Divine Emanations) comprise 32 Paths of Wisdom. The letters represent the qualitative aspects of the Crea...

Judaism considers family the most important and sacred nucleus of society. Newlyweds are traditionally blessed by relatives and friends to merit building a bayith ne’eman b’Yisrael (a trustworthy house in Israel). We find many places where the word house ...

Ado-nay, open my lips Psalms, 51:17 The forty-year journey in the Sinai desert was marked for the young Jewish nation by two events of paramount importance. The first event was the Revelation at Mount Sinai: G‑d’s giving the Torah to the Jewish people, wh...

In the Book of Exodus we find the word mezuzah in a most unexpected context. In the beginning of the weekly portion Mishpatim The Jewish tradition (Mesorah) divides the Pentateuch into 54 portions corresponding to the weeks of the lunar year. These are th...