Thinkingaboutme.org
9 years of Parasha articles.
THE ART OF LISTENING TO YOUR RABBI
click tezaveh 2025 to download THE ART OF LISTENING TO YOUR RABBI King Shaul was given a clear and absolute command from the prophet Shmuel, dictated by G-d: Go and utterly destroy Amalek. Do not spare them. Slay man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.” (I Samuel 15:3) This was…
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THE ART OF FAITH IN THE LONG HAUL
click terumah 2025 for download THE ART OF FAITH IN THE LONG HAUL “Yaakov Avinu foresaw that his descendants would one day build a Mishkan (Tabernacle) in the desert. Therefore, he brought cedar trees to Egypt, planted them there, and instructed his children to take them along when they left Egypt.” (Rashi from Midrash Tanchuma)…
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THE ART OF APPRECIATING DIFFERENCES
click mishpatim 2025 to download THE ART OF APPRECIATING DIFFERENCES The Talmud (Bava Kama 30a) teaches us a profound lesson about achieving true Chassidut—piety. Rav Yehuda says, “One who wants to be a Chassid should fulfill the laws of damages.” Rava says, “He should focus on Pirkei Avot.” Others say, “He should fulfill the laws…
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THE ART OF LEARNING TORAH EVERY SECOND YOU CAN
click YITRO 2025 for download THE ART OF LEARNING TORAH EVERY SECOND YOU CAN King David desired to build the Beit HaMikdash, but Hashem did not allow him to do so because his hands were stained with blood from the many wars he fought. Hashem told him: כִּי דָם רַב שָׁפַכְתָּ וּמִלְחָמוֹת גְּדֹלוֹת עָשִׂיתָ, לֹא…
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THE ART OF SEIZING OPPURTUNITIES
click Beshalach 2025 to download THE ART OF SEIZING OPPURTUNITIES The first recorded case of ‘Don’t just stand there! Do something!’ was G-d telling Moshe to stop praying, and instead be like Nike, Just do it! Just walk into the sea until the water reaches your nostrils! Moshe was praying, and G-d said, now is…
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THE ART OF BEING A NATION
click Bo 2025 to download THE ART OF BEING A NATION This is the story going around this week, from Rabbi Shner Guata, a true story, with a bittersweet ending. A Jew named Avi, a good-hearted, traditional, responsible, and kind Jew, would occasionally have dealings with mafia, or problematic individuals. Avi owned several bastas in…
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THE ART OF FEELING FOR OTHERS
click vaera 2025 for download THE ART OF FEELING FOR OTHERS This week’s Torah portion contains an interesting nuance. It begins with the genealogy of the tribes: “These are the heads of their fathers’ houses: the sons of Reuven… the sons of Shimon… and these are the names of the sons of Levi.” The Shnei…
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THE ART OF BALANCING SHIELDING AND EXPLORATION
click shemot 2025 to download THE ART OF BALANCING SHIELDING AND EXPLORATION Parents often grapple with the balance between shielding children and allowing them to explore. Shield too much, and you’ll raise a bubble-wrapped adult, who can’t change his own flat tire. They will never know how to go bowling without the bumpers, or take…
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THE ART OF AVOIDING STICKY SITUATIONS
click vayechi 2025 to download THE ART OF AVOIDING STICKY SITUATIONS A fight avoided, is a fight won. If you see trouble coming, cross the street. Some people learn krav maga, and rely on their self-defense skills. Yet, even the best self-defense can’t help you if the other person has a gun. Imagine this: A…
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THE ART OF BELIEVING IN YOURSELF
click vayigash 2025 to download THE ART OF BELIEVING IN YOURSELF One of the many life lessons we can learn from Yosef is to believe in your talents, even when the world tries to bury them. His ability to interpret dreams was not just a skill but an act of belief. Think about it: Yosef’s…
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THE ART OF WHAT NOW
click vayeshev 2024 to download THE ART OF WHAT NOW We often resist life’s challenges because we believe we shouldn’t be there. This week’s Parsha is a masterclass in adaptability. Yosef doesn’t spend his time brooding over how he got into the pit or blaming others for his circumstances. Yosef had every reason to be…
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THE ART OF FIGHTING OUR INNER ESAV
click vayishlach 2024 to download THE ART OF FIGHTING OUR INNER ESAV The story of Yaakov battling Esav is not just ancient history. Inside each of us are Yaakov and Esav voices. Every test in life is a struggle between the two: The Esav voice focuses only on short-term gain, with no concept of long-term…
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THE ART OF THE PLEDGE
click vayetze 2024 to download THE ART OF THE PLEDGE The reason the there is a custom to say Vayevarech David and Az Yashir every day in prayer of Pesukei Dzimrah is because all the 15 terminologies of praise found in Yishtabach, are sourced in those two, Vayevarech and Az Yashir. שִׁיר וּשְׁבָחָה , הַלֵּל…
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THE ART OF PARENTING
click toldot 2024 for download THE ART OF PARENTING Parenting is one of the most rewarding yet humbling experiences. As much as we’d like to believe that our love and guidance will shape our children exactly as we envision, life has its own plans. Parenting is about the process, not guaranteed outcomes. Even great parents…
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THE ART OF FOCUS AUDITING
Click chaye sara 2024 to download THE ART OF FOCUS AUDITING When Eliezer returned with Rivkah after his mission to find a wife for Yitzhak, the Torah describes the moment as follows: “And Yitzhak went forth to pray in the field towards evening, and he lifted his eyes and saw, and behold, camels were approaching.”…
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THE ART OF SUBSERVIENCE
click vayera 2024 for download THE ART OF SUBSERVIENCE We learn from the life of Avraham Avinu that his journey was marked by a series of ten trials, beginning with a call to leave his past behind and finishing with the last test, the ultimate challenge of relinquishing his future. The first test—leaving his homeland—required…
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THE ART OF BEING YOU
click lech lecha 2024 final to download THE ART OF BEING YOU The question we need to ask in the very beginning of the parasha is why the order seems off. G-d asks Avraham to leave his land, his birthplace and his father’s home. Geographically, the order is backwards. You first leave your father’s home,…
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Sukkot : The Happiness WorkShack
click sukkot 2024 to download Sukkot : The Happiness WorkShack The hardest Mitzvah in the Torah, according to the Vilna Gaon, is to be happy non-stop, 24/7, on Sukkot holiday. Sukkot is that time of year when we move out of our cozy homes into a little booth, eat outside like we’re on a camping…
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THE ART OF MEANING WHAT YOU SAY
click yom kippur 2024 to download THE ART OF MEANING WHAT YOU SAY The happiest moment of the year is the Shehechianu blessing during Kol Nidrei. That first moment of the Holy Day is so powerful, it’s worth living 70 years just to experience it. It’s as if, for that single moment, it’s worth coming…
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THE ART OF HAVING A SHANA TOVA
click rosh hashana 2024 for download THE ART OF HAVING A SHANA TOVA The choice of an apple on Rosh Hashanah is no accident. The apple, more than any other fruit, is closely tied to the blessing we offer each other: שנה טובה ומתוקה , “May you have a good and sweet year.” יהי רצון…
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THE ART OF GRATITUDE AND REDEMPTION
click ki tavo 2024 for download THE ART OF GRATITUDE AND REDEMPTION The reason we read Parshat Ki Tavo, with its barrage of curses, before Rosh Hashanah is rooted in the principle of “Tichleh shanah v’klaloteha”—let the old year and its curses fade into history—so we can step into the new year with “Tachel shanah…
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THE ART OF STAYING IN YOUR OWN LANE
click ki tetze 2024 for download THE ART OF STAYING IN YOUR OWN LANE In Parashat Ki Tetze, we find the mitzvah not to plow with an ox and a donkey together. The reason for this according to the Daat Zekenim Baal Hatosafot is simple yet profound—it’s not fair to the donkey that the ox…
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THE ART OF COMMUNAL RESPONSIBILITY
click shoftim 2024 to download THE ART OF COMMUNAL RESPONSIBILITY In this week’s parasha, the law of the Eglah Arufah is mentioned. This law applies when a murdered person is found in a field, and the killer is unknown. The elders and judges of the nearest city must measure the distance to determine which city…
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THE ART OF USING AI
click re’eh 2024 to download THE ART OF USING AI Summer break, marrying off our first child of ten in Israel, and Parashat Reeh, is a great recipe for writer’s block. When creative juices are not flowing, I sometimes ask Chat Gpt for help. But being that I plan on working on adding some humor…
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THE ART OF SAYING SHEMA ON YOUR BED
click balak 2024 for download THE ART OF SAYING SHEMA ON YOUR BED The Sefer Hassidim writes that only if a person goes to sleep like a spiritual lion, can he wake up like a spiritual lion. He derives this from this week’s Parasha. The Passuk says in this week’s Parasha, הֶן־עָם֙ כְּלָבִ֣יא יָק֔וּם וְכַאֲרִ֖י…
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THE ART OF FIXING WHAT CAN’T BE FIXED
click korah 2024 to download THE ART OF FIXING WHAT CAN’T BE FIXED One of my favorite-of-all-times songs is the song of Mordechai ben David: אם אדם מאמין שאפשר לקלקל ודאי שאפשר לתקן – רק בשמחה אפשר לתקן. If a person believes that it is possible to ruin things… for sure he has to believe…
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THE ART OF DEESCALATION
click shlach 2024 to download THE ART OF DEESCALATION Tisha B’av is a night when we cry each year over the Destructions of the two Temples, because we cried the night the spies came back with their report, over nothing that warranted that we cry at all. וַיִּבְכּ֥וּ הָעָ֖ם בַּלַּ֥יְלָה הַהֽוּא And the Nation cried…
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THE ART OF OVERCOMING FRUSTRATION
click Bhaalotcha 2024 to download THE ART OF OVERCOMING FRUSTRATION Baruch Hashem, we get a Mazal Tov. My son got engaged! In the process, there were things that frustrated me. They frustrated me so much, I felt I needed to get out of the house a little and let out some steam. My car was…
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THE ART OF TAKING OFF YOUR VR GOGGLES
THE ART OF TAKING OFF YOUR VR GOGGLES click bamidbar 2024 to download So many people have questions in the Torah and keeping its laws. So many laws may feel outdated, hard to relate to. Why are the laws of Shabbat/Holiday so restricting? Why do people living out of Israel need to keep two days…
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THE ART OF SEEING THE GOOD
click behar 2024 for download THE ART OF SEEING THE GOOD Rashi at the outset of the Parasha writes that Har Sinai is mentioned by the Mitzvah of Shemittah to teach a lesson. Just like Shemittah, has so many details, that the Torah mentions, and all those details, were received by Moshe at Har Sinai……
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THE ART OF BEING CHOSEN
click Emor 2024 to download THE ART OF BEING CHOSEN Rabbi Yehuda Teriki said the following, wild story. There was a couple that lived in London. They brought up their only child with love. When their son became of marriageable age, they set him up with the greatest, sweetest, girl. The couple, together, bought a…
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THE ART OF BEING KEDOSHIM
click kedoshim 2024 to download THE ART OF BEING KEDOSHIM There are different opinions of what the hardest mitzvah in the Torah is. What’s so ironic is that this week’s parasha has almost all of those hardest mitzvoth in it. Why is that? The reason is because Kedoshim is the Parasha of those who are Kadosh,…
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THE ART OF BEING UNIQUE
click acharei mot 2024 to download THE ART OF BEING UNIQUE This weeks Haftarah, calls us all כושים , black people, in the literal sense of the word. R Eliezer Ben Hurkenus gives it a twist though. He says that when the Torah refers to a Jew as black, it means metaphorically. Just as the…
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THE ART OF RENEWAL
click shemini 2024 to download THE ART OF RENEWAL Big days are ahead of us. The whole month of Nissan, we don’t say Tahanun. This is because the whole month is considered Rosh Hodesh, as it says, הַחֹ֧דֶשׁ הַזֶּ֛ה לָכֶ֖ם רֹ֣אשׁ חֳדָשִׁ֑ים. The first 12 days, we don’t say Tahanun because those days are the…
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THE ART OF SEEING THE FINAL REDEMPTION
click Parah 2024 for download THE ART OF SEEING THE FINAL REDEMPTION This week, we read about the Red Heifer purification. The purpose of this reading is to be some sort of preparation for the Passover sacrifice. We read about purification in the Haftarah as well. This is for the sake of being ready…
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