“Yiras ha-romemus (reverence of G-d’s majesty) is not the same as yiras ha-onesh (fear of G-d’s punishment). Yiras ha-romemus is the reverence of a king, where a profound sense of shame keeps you from approaching the king, due to his awesome greatness. And, as a result of that, you come to love the king more, since despite his greatness and

An emotion is your reaction to something outside of you. While you might experience a vast range of emotions, they essentially fall into two categories: You are either drawn to the thing (love) or repelled by it (fear).

“diminishing

A mitzvah is a connection ritual, a sacred technology which brings you into an intimate bond with G-d.

If someone is mean or hurtful to you, remember that this is only happening because G-d felt that it would be helpful for the evolution of your soul. Never seek revenge against people that hurt you. Actually, you should be nice to them, because, despite their malicious intent, they have really helped you. Either they have caused you to learn an

Ultimately, I can control my emotions because what I feel is always an outcome of what I think. I let my chochmah flow by being intellectually curious, imaginative and by looking at the bigger picture. Next, I use my binah by being logical and detail orientated, carefully examining the raw concept from my chochmah. The crucial step, which generates

That is how you should relate to your thoughts. They are what your soul is “wearing” at any given moment. Your soul never bares herself; it always expresses — and hides — itself through a “garment” of thought.

Sha’arei Ha-Kedushah (ibid.) states that the “good side” of your Animal Soul’s four elements mirrors their “bad side” precisely. In place of arrogance and anger, the good side of your Animal Soul’s “fire”draws you to humility, leading you not to take things personally and get angry. Rather than seeking pleasure, the good side of “water” despises

Chafitzah represents an even more intense state where, unlike physical desires which subside when you are satisfied, your desire for G-d never diminishes. “And upon completing a mitzvah which came your way... you are not satisfied by what you have done. On the contrary, now you have a stronger desire” (ibid.). וְהִיא