In One Sentence, What Should I Know?

You should know how to positively connect with others in order to attract the positive force that dwells in nature, and by doing so, enter into a harmonious balance with others and nature.

Based on the lesson on Day 1 of the Guadalajara World Kabbalah convention on July 17, 2015

Hidden within every moment is the ability to begin anew. No matter how tangled the past may feel, no matter how many wrong turns you think you’ve taken, you have the power to restart. It doesn’t require perfect timing or circumstances – just the willingness and the decision to try again.

Your past does not determine your future. Never let your missteps prevent you from taking your next steps, and never let your history dictate your destiny. Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.

Starting over doesn’t necessarily erase the past, but it can change what it means. The past becomes a lesson rather than a limitation or life sentence; it becomes an experience rather than an identity. The very things that once felt like setbacks can become the foundation for wiser choices and deeper strength. Restarting is not retreating – it’s a declaration of determination; it’s refusing to allow your yesterday limit your tomorrow.

You don’t need dramatic reinvention to begin anew. Sometimes it starts quietly – with a shift in mindset, a renewed commitment, or a softer inner voice. It may be trying again after failure, forgiving yourself after regret, or daring to believe that change is still possible. The ability to restart is proof that you are not defined by your past, but by where you go from here.

You are the author of your story; the first chapters don’t determine the next chapters. Every moment is an opportunity to turn the page, to rewrite, to rebuild, to renew – only you can choose what fills the blank spaces ahead. So begin again, and again – as many times as necessary – not because the past disappeared, but because your future is still being written.

Inspired by the teaching of Reb Noson of Breslov (1780-1844)

Let's be honest about what's happening right now.

The global landscape is fractured. Geopolitical power is shifting, economies are uncertain, and systems we once relied on are crumbling. You could be forgiven for feeling like you're caught in the eye of a relentless storm.

The world is changing. Question is... are you?

Because here's the truth: you have a choice. You can be tossed around by the chaos, reacting to every shift and tremor. Or you can become a pillar of strength and reason—grounded, steady, resilient.

Now more than ever, it's critical to remain steadfast. To conserve your energy. To rebuild your personal boundaries. To recognize your innate ability to create and be the change the world desperately needs right now.

But here's what most people don't understand about uncertainty:

From a classical, Newtonian perspective, uncertainty is something to fear, control, or eliminate. It represents chaos, unpredictability, danger.

From a quantum perspective? Uncertainty is opportunity.

Uncertainty means the outcome isn't fixed yet. It means infinite possibilities are available. It means you—as the observer—have the power to influence what emerges.

When you understand how to work with uncertainty instead of against it, you stop being a victim of change and start becoming a conscious creator of it.

Open A Feather Pillow and Let The Feathers Scatter

I once heard a rabbi tell a man to cut open a feather pillow in the street and let the feathers scatter. When the man returned, the rabbi told him to go gather every feather.

He couldn’t.

And the rabbi said gently, “So are the words once they leave you.”

That image has never left me.

Words can feel light while it is leaving us.

But its weight is carried by the world.

They settle.

They linger in a room.

They echo in a heart.

They become part of the atmosphere we live inside.

I keep thinking about that.

How a sentence can leave my lips and continue living somewhere I cannot follow.

And yet, there is a moment before sound.

A small, almost invisible pause where the word still belongs to the heart.

Where a reaction can soften.

Where dignity can be protected.

Where kindness can still enter the room first.

Rav Pam teaches that the tongue is only the pen.

It is the heart that writes.

And I feel that.

When the heart learns to see goodness, the words follow.

Maybe that is where this work begins — not in the mouth, but in the way we look at one another. Because every soul carries His breath. And perhaps guarding our words is not only about restraint, but about remembering: we are speaking about His children.

The Vilna Gaon teaches that every moment a person holds back from speaking negatively carries a reward beyond what even angels can comprehend.

Not because silence is empty.

But because sometimes nothing is said — and everything is transformed.

And I’m beginning to understand what can grow inside that pause.

Maybe that small pause —

before the word,

before the tone,

before the reaction —

is one of the holiest spaces we live inside.

One Small Shift That Changes Everything

“Most regret in life comes from unexamined reactions.”

👉 You don’t need to fix your whole life.

👉 You don’t need a perfect plan.

👉 You don’t need to feel fully ready.

You only need one thing:

👉 Pause before you react.

Regret follows reaction.

Growth follows response.

When something triggers you today, try this:

👉 Pause.

👉 Take one breath.

👉 Ask yourself, “What would the calm, trusting version of me do right now?”

That version exists inside you.

The version that remembers Hashem is running the world.

The version that doesn’t panic.

The version that chooses dignity over impulse.

The version that responds instead of reacting automatically.

Strength is not loud. It is controlled.

Clarity is not complicated. It is calm.

Sometimes the difference between a life you regret and a life you respect is just one breath taken at the right time.

That breath is Bitachon in action.

Psalm 145

פּוֹתֵחַ אֶת יָדֶךָ וּמַשְׂבִּיעַ לְכָל חַי רָצוֹן

You open Your hand and satisfy every living being. (Tehillim 145)

Our sages teach that this chapter is especially precious because it reminds us that Hashem provides for all His creations with care, wisdom, and compassion. King David filled so much of Tehillim with praise for Hashem as the true source of livelihood, teaching us to keep turning our hearts toward gratitude and trust.

Rabbi Yitzchok Rubin explains that the deepest joy often comes from feeling connected to Hashem’s will and trusting His guidance. And the Zohar teaches that Hashem not only provides what we need physically, but also fills our hearts with hope, desire for life, and the inner strength that carries us forward.

As we enter a new week and a new Hebrew month, especially the joyful energy of Adar, may we feel connected to Hashem’s goodness in whatever way we need most. May there be financial abundance where it is needed, emotional strength, clarity, healing, and real moments of simcha, and the unfolding of the brachos we are each quietly waiting for in the most beautiful way.

May we feel supported, guided, and gently aligned with what Hashem has prepared for us.

Grateful already. Thank You, Hashem. ✨