The Gate of Tears: Sad­ness and the Spir­i­tu­al Path is the sixth book by Rab­bi Dr. Jay Michael­son. Its mes­sage is a coun­ter­cul­tur­al one: that sad­ness and joy can coex­ist, and that there is a great beau­ty to the vicis­si­tudes of light and dark­ness that are inevitable parts of human life. By learn­ing to make space for and even love these dif­fi­cult emo­tions, they become like two notes of a minor chord — a song that is both beau­ti­ful and wise. With his blend of eru­di­tion and acces­si­bil­i­ty, Rab­bi Michael­son weaves togeth­er Hasidic tales and Dhar­ma teach­ings, Leonard Cohen and Langston Hugh­es. The Gate of Tears draws on Rab­bi Michaelson’s fif­teen years as a stu­dent and teacher of Jew­ish med­i­ta­tion, the recent pass­ing of his moth­er, and the peace he has dis­cov­ered along the way.