Can studying the Torah as a spiritual practice help us begin anew this year?
 
The Me’or Enayim (Light of the Eyes) is one of the most spiritually powerful commentaries on the Torah. It is comprised of sermons given by Reb Menachem Nachum of Tchernobyl (1730-1797), a close friend and student of the Ba'al Shem Tov, who will be our guide in opening the Torah anew, and renewing our lives, in 5783.
 
Reb Menachem invites us, through his luminous comments on the text and analysis of the lives of the characters in this most fascinating and dramatic first book of the Chumash, to explore and connect to the possibility of tshuvah (return) and tikkun (repair) in our own lives.
 
Together, we will learn to see Bereshit (Genesis), and ourselves, with new eyes. We will become acquainted with Chasidic thinking and the various levels of Torah reading at play in mystical commentaries. We will explore the text as a resource for contemplative wisdom and practical ethics that we can apply in our everyday lives.
 
The course combines text study (all texts provided in Hebrew and English) with times for questions and sharing, short guided meditation, practice prompts to keep growing in between sessions, and a forum for group processing and ongoing support. 
 
The course is suitable for all levels of student.
 

How does it work?
 
​The course consists of eleven recorded classes, of 1 hour each, which participants can watch at your own convenience.
 
Sessions consist of close study of texts and are accompanied by guided practice. ​​
 
Registrants gain lifetime access to all the course materials, including the recordings of every class.
 
Each session includes:
 
1) A recorded class, in which Dr. Mira Neshama leads a 1 hour study session. Sessions include a close reading of Jewish texts in their original, clearly translated and explained, together with relevant background information and discussion. ​
 
2) A printable handout of excerpts from the chapter studied, provided in full translation with introductory comments and guiding questions.
 
​3) A guided practice, informed by the study session and offered with clear instructions by Mira, provided in both audio and video format.​
 
 
Testimonials
 
"Having recently completed an online course with Mira about 'Maimonide's Middle Way', I can honestly say that I felt her deep subject knowledge, together with her experience as a meditation teacher wove together seamlessly to make the content relevant and accessible."
- Stephen Low, participant in the Maimonide’s Middle Way course.
 
"Working with Mira is truly a deep breath. Mira has helped me strengthen and deepen my connection and commitment to myself, my practice, and my spirituality."
- Naomi Davis, participant in retreats and student of private spiritual counseling
 
"Mira skillfully weaves deep scholarship and understanding of Torah and the Jewish mystical tradition with a personal depth of experience in meditation practice and theory."
-Rabbi Jordan Bendat-Appell, Director of Camp Ramah in Canada and former Director of the Institute for Jewish Spirituality’s Jewish Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training