We are currently in Mercury Retrograde, a time many associate with communication glitches, technological hiccups, and general cosmic confusion. But the deeper question is: Do the stars truly dictate our lives? And if so, can we transcend their influence?

In this week's study of the Zohar, Parshat Pinchas, we explored a profound teaching on astrology, fate, and free will. The Zohar acknowledges what our sages have long discussed: the constellations and planetary alignments at the time of our birth—our mazal—shape the framework of our lives. They give us our natural strengths, challenges, and the very circumstances through which we are meant to fulfill our tikkun, our soul’s rectification.

The Zohar brings the example of Avraham Avinu. Gazing at the stars, Avraham saw in his astrological chart that he and Sarah were destined to remain childless. The constellations had set their decree. Yet the verse tells us that G-d took Avraham “outside,” showing him the heavens and saying, “Look beyond the stars.” In that moment, a divine truth was revealed: there is a reality higher than the constellations. When G-d added the letter Hey (ה) to Avram’s name, transforming him into Avraham, He connected him to a higher source—the Torah itself, the five divine channels through which creation was brought into being.

The Zohar teaches that all of creation, every being in every realm, is influenced by the celestial order. But since the giving of the Torah, the Jewish soul has been given access to a higher flow, one that transcends the fixed decrees of the stars. When a person learns Torah not just intellectually but with the intention to live it, to embody its truth and connect deeply with the Divine, the natural forces of the cosmos no longer bind them.

Without this connection, the stars rule over us as they do over all material existence. But when we “plug in” fully—to Torah, mitzvot, and genuine attachment to Hashem—we rise above the astrological script. We align not just with fate but with the Source that writes destiny itself, opening the door to miracles beyond nature.

This teaching is a reminder: yes, the stars hold power. Yes, our natal charts are real and influential. But they are not the final word. When we deepen our connection to Hashem, we live from a place that is truly “above the stars,” where new possibilities can unfold beyond what the constellations predict.

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