A Year of Zohar
A series of seasonal essays exploring Judaism’s most important mystical text.
The Secret of Wine
Priests are forbidden from drinking wine because they bear responsibility for guarding the core of Jewish holiness.
The Soul of a Stranger
The truth is not that we were once strangers; the truth is that we are strangers.
Be Good
The Zohar reminds us of the fragility of our existence — and also our power to make a difference in the world.
Holy Work Completes Itself
Sometimes it's necessary to relinquish control, even for God.
The Secret of Youth
The Zohar's counterintuitive claim that the Shekhinah dwells only where the spirit of youth prevails.
Redemption Songs
For those who have suffered trauma, the joy of redemption sets in slowly.
The Voice That Never Ceased
Learning Torah in the manner of the Zohar requires the cultivation of both knowledge and imagination.
Flowing Like Tree Sap
One function of the Zohar's unique literary form is seen in the way it mixes metaphors of bodies and trees.
Would You Know My Name?
The Zohar claims we will recognize each other in the afterlife.
Cleaving to God Through Song
How the Zohar understands the function of song in the quest to connect to God.
The Well of Torah
Moses' last speech to the Israelites establishes the paradigm for spoken Torah.
The Exile of Speech
The Zohar reimagines Moses' famous speech impediment as a deficiency in his prophetic power.