Last Friday, the fifth of Av, was the yahrzeit of the great Ari HaKadosh or Arizal, “The Holy Lion of Blessed Memory”, Rabbi Itzchak Luria (1534-1572). Few have had as monumental an impact on Judaism as the Arizal. Despite being an educator for only a couple of years, and passing away at the young age of 37 or 38, his teachings shaped the course of Jewish history for the next five centuries, until the present. Who was the Arizal, what did he reveal, and why was he so influential? Continue reading
Tag Archives: Tu b’Shevat Seder
Secrets of Tu b’Shevat (Video)
How did Tu b’Shevat go from a footnote on the Jewish calendar to an important mystical holiday? What are the true origins of the Tu b’Shevat seder? And what does it all have to do with the State of Israel and the coming of Mashiach?
Find out in this class where we also outline the proper steps of the Tu b’Shevat seder, explain the Kabbalistic meaning of the Tu b’Shevat fruits, explore the Book of Judges, and present an intriguing theory about the coming Final Redemption.
For a written summary on ‘Origins and Secrets of the Tu b’Shevat Seder’ see here.
For a detailed analysis on the ‘Prime Ministers of Israel and the Coming of Mashiach’, see the concluding chapter of Garments of Light, Volume One.
Origins and Secrets of the Tu B’Shevat Seder
This Wednesday evening we mark Tu b’Shevat, the “New Year for Trees”. While originally an obscure and mostly-unobserved holiday, Tu b’Shevat took on greater significance among the Kabbalists of the 16th and 17th centuries. As is well-known, an entire Tu b’Shevat “seder” emerged, complete with four cups of wine and a Haggadah of sorts. What is not so well-known is where this Tu b’Shevat seder actually came from, and the mystical foundations upon which it stands. Continue reading