You Are What You Hate: A Spiritually Productive Approach to Enemies

The text that is the heart of these teachings was written in the early 19th century by the great kabbalist and chassidic master, R. Yitzchok Isaac Yehuda Yechiel Safrin, known as the Komarna Rebbe. It is the fruit of his personal struggle to find the most spiritually productive attitude toward his own detractors. Though intellectually rigorous, these are teachings for the heart much more than for the head. They offer a rare glimpse into the process by which a true master reaches into the mystical texts and extracts living insights to guide his way through a real and present ordeal. The question explored is: What is the most good-serving, God-serving (and also, surprisingly, self-serving) response to the test of enemies and how can I use their vexation for positive change?

A truly enlightened strategy requires us to find the right balance between self-protection and generosity, protest and acceptance, savvy and idealism, zero-tolerance-for-evil and compassion. The Komarna Rebbe looks to kabbala for his guidance. He pulls these lofty teachings down into real life and presents us with practical instructions for how to solve this ancient and universal dilemma.

Now for the first time these previously hidden teachings are translated, elucidated, and released to the public.