What's New
All the Newest Material on the TorahLab Website
Are You Stuck?
the caduceus (kerykeion in Greek), which is a staff with two snakes wrapped around it. This is a medical symbol associated with the Greek god Hermes. Of course its real origin is in our Parsha! But what was the meaning of the copper snake?
By Rabbi Yaacov Haber - 06/14/13 - 8 - 06/14/13
The Argument
A thought for the week on Parshas Korach
By Rabbi Yaacov Haber - 06/07/13 - 2 - 06/07/13
You are What You See
Gratitude and seeing good is the essence of Judaism
By Rabbi Yaacov Haber - 05/31/13 - 8 - 05/31/13
The Miriam Vision
By Rabbi Yaacov Haber - 05/24/13 - 4 - 05/26/13
Kedushas Shabbos Part 132 - Harnessing the Evil Within
Rabbi Yaacov Haber, Shlit’a, posits, based upon Rav Tzadok HaKohen, that “having a little bit of ‘Rah’ within us us not such a bad thing.” This Plan B that we (Adam) chose, could make us much better, in the long run, than had we gone with Plan A which was the Plan before Adam ingested the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good & Evil. In other words, now that you’ve ingested the knowledge (tools) harness the beauty and exhilaration of the ride on the bucking bronco (which could also kill you) and make it bend to Hashem’s Will. “Some with chariots and some with horses, but we (the Jewish People) in the Name of Hashem call out.” If we do that… “Hashem save, may the King answer us on the day we call.” And then, shall a redeemer come to zion, and to those who repent from willful sin among Yaakov, the words of Hashem.” Our work, now that we’ve exposed ourselves to good and evil, is to use the tools that we’ve acquired to build a Home for the Shechina here on this grungy, dirty earth. It may not be an easy job, and it make take 6000 years, but we, the Jewish People, have the antidote to the Zehumas HaNachash. We must harness it.
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Kedushas Shabbos Part 131 - The History of the Zehumas HaNachash
Rabbi Haber, Shlit’a, reveals questions and answers about how and when the “venom” of the nachash that was ingested by Adam was/will be neutralized within the framework of the stages of Jewish history. The secret is in the recombining the “soul” with the “body.” The laboratory is Shabbos.
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Kedushas Shabbos Part 130 - Har Sinai: Before and After
Rabbi Haber composes a historical scenario taking us from the Sin of Adam, through Noach, Avraham Avinu, Yitzchak Avinu, Yaakov Avinu, the shevatim, Yetziat Mitzraim, Moshe and the rest of the Story of the Jewish People until the coming of Mashiach. He explains how after we ingested the Slime or poison of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, our function in the world is to eradicate and disgorge ourselves of that Slime & Grime to get back to the Holiness that was extant before the Sin when the Shechina could dwell amongst us. Individually, some of us may be able to get close. We’ve had many chances, as Rav Haber demonstrates. It’s a process that has taken over 3,500 years to complete. When the Mashiach finally arrives, the Second Luchos will be revealed to the Whole World Publicly when Hashem will be One and His Name will be One.
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Kedushas Shabbos Part 129 - The Nachash Factor
Rabbi Haber elaborates on how & why the Nachash enticed Chava and was able to seduce her. Now the נחש is within us as the יצר הרע. The first stone tablets (Ten Commandments) were not successful because they were given “publicly” פרהסיה with pomp and circumstance. But the second stone tablets were given “quietly” anxiously בחשאי. Plan A didn’t work. Most start-ups are a failure. The First Tablets were like Adam before the sin.
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Kedushas Shabbos Part 128 - Who You Are is What You See
Rabbi Yaacov Haber, Shlit’a, delves into the method of analyzing ones character by inspecting the way one sees the world. Is it good or bad? Is it holy or perverse? The model for a rasha רשע (evil person) as described in the Gomorrah and by Rabbi Tzadik HaKohen, is the non-Jewish prophet, Bilam. This is a fascinating discussion that touches on many ideas of fundamental substance to Judaism. Who are we in the world? What is our role as a Jewish Nation? How do we fix the sin of Adam and those of our predecessors? Is there a difference between souls? How do different souls view the same thing? How do the Chruvim fit into this discussion? Why do we see what we see? Can we change what we see? Can we change who we are? Watch, learn, and be amazed!
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Kedushas Shabbos Part 127 - We’re Left with Plan B-The Chruvim; Busha or Kedusha
Rabbi Haber, Shlit’a, enlightens us on the consequence of Am Yisrael’s disobediences to Hashem. Am Yisrael, the “First Born”, like Adam HaRishon and Reuven, being impulsive and attempting to second guess or substitute our will for the Will of the Creator leads us to our ongoing choices of not thinking of Him before we act and not waiting for the Ratzon of Hashem to play out. It has led us on our much longer path of returning to Gan Eden. It has resulted in our constant struggle to reach our Ultimate Destiny. We must uproot our ego in order to get there.
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Kedushas Shabbos Part 126 - Watering the Weeds
Rabbi Yaacov Haber, Shlit’a, makes the Chet (sin) of Adam understandable. In the context of history, the sin of Adam is the model for every sin that the Jewish People committed. Every one of our sins goes back to the first desire of Adam to “elevate” himself above what Hashem planned for Creation. The question is “whose in charge of me?” Do I make my own decisions about how I want Creation to be? Or, do I do it the way Hashem wants? The substance of ego is the “evil” that was ingested by Adam. It’s now within us. It will remain within us for the purpose of forcing us to recognize it and to overcome it. Are we for Hashem under all circumstances or are we for ourselves? Are we part of Hashem or are we separate? Ego is separation. Hashem is Unity. Our struggle is to remove the separation. Now that we have the amalgam of good and evil within us, when we water the good (the Garden that Hashem gave us), we could also be watering the evil (the weeds that we ingested). Our work in this world now is to struggle to water the good and kill the evil. May the Goodness of Hashem blossom and the weeds wither.
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Kedushas Shabbos Part 125 - Eitz HaDaas: Ingesting the Evil
Rabbi Yaacov Haber, Shlit’a, through the words of Rav Tzadok HaKohen, explains that the Rah רע (bad or evil) that Adam ingested was by choice in order to make himself capable of being “an individual” separate from Hashem so that he could go to battle for Hashem. But that choice was fraught with danger as evil has a tendency to win over good. Therefore, he was excluded from Gan Eden to prevent him from becoming eternal. Shabbos comes to provide the Jewish People with the ability to reunify with Hashem and His Holy Name by reversing the פרודה divisions/separations that we’ve been given in the Holiness of the Seventh Day. Although we live in the world of separation פרוד but it all comes together if it all has One Purpose. The point of Shabbos is where we can contemplate on the disparate part of the world that was given to us and, in so doing, we unify the separation of the week that has past and make it Holy.
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Kedushas Shabbos Part 124
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Kedushas Shabbos Part 123
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Kedushas Shabbos Part 122
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Why is G-D Showing me This Picture?
What ever G-d puts in our line of vision is a reflection of ourselves
By Rabbi Yaacov Haber - 05/17/13 - 9 - 05/19/13
Holiness in Judaism
Holiness means using our material benefits in the right way. (1986)
By Rabbi Yaacov Haber - 04/26/13 - 4 - 05/03/13
Jewish Self Consciousness
G-d doesn't want us to be scared just to be aware. With a bit of self-consciousness we can make a kidush Hashem with everything we do.
By Rabbi Yaacov Haber - 04/25/13 - 1 - 05/13/11
How to Choose an Orange
The role of the Jewish nation, and the role that the nations around us have.
By Rabbi Yaacov Haber - 04/19/13 - 1 - 04/19/13
Can Jewish Leaders Work Together?
Moshe and Aharon had to hug. Moshe and Aharon are the model we must follow to bring peace and Shechina into the world.
