Thinkingaboutme.org
9 years of Parasha articles.
KING OF THE CLASS
KING OF THE CLASS Parashat Lech Lecha According to Chassidut, the weeks of these Parashiot are weeks when we can ask ourselves the age old question, When will my actions reach the actions of my Forefathers. There is a special Hashpa’a during these weeks, when we can connect ourselves to Avraham Avinu, to his Emunah,…
Read MoreTHE SECRET INGREDIENT TO TRULY FORGIVE
THE SECRET INGREDIENT TO TRULY FORGIVE Yom Kippur On our way back from Tashlich, a yeshiva student approached me with a touchy subject. I asked him if he believes in this Tashlich thing, that you can get rid of sin, do Teshuvah and become a new person. He said he did not believe that G-d…
Read MoreROSH HASHANA SURVIVAL KIT
ROSH HASHANA SURVIVAL KIT My 8 year old daughter came back from school and brought home a beautiful concept. Her Morah, her teacher, was displaying the Shofar to the class, showing them its shape, its colors. One end is thin, while the other end is wide. My daughter raised her hand from the back of…
Read MoreTHE ELUL THAT VIBRATED IN MY POCKET
THE ELUL THAT VIBRATED IN MY POCKET Parashat Ki Tavo Last week my phone vibrated, and that phone call shook me up to the core. ” Hi. Rabbi Farhi, I need your help. This year’s Elul is all over the place. I am just too busy, lately, helping out at home, and it is…
Read MoreTZEDDAKAH! TZEDAKKAH!
TZEDDAKAH! TZEDAKKAH! Parashat Ki Tetzeh Tzedaka is difficult to give, only if you believe that the money you earned was earned by your hard work alone, and not given to you by G-d. Tzeddaka is one of the greatest tests on your core beliefs, measuring how much you believe that G-d is in your life…
Read MoreYOSSELE THE THIEF
YOSSELE THE THIEF Parashat Shoftim There is an amazing story I told my young daughters at bedtime last week. The Baal Shem Tov, the Father of Chassidut, was a man of miracles. He saw into the future, and through walls. A very holy man. He had a student, Yossele. Yossele, would learn and pray with…
Read MoreELUL – TIME FOR A CHANGE
ELUL – TIME FOR A CHANGE Parashat Reeh I apologize, but I can’t make my point without first troubling you. Fold your arms. Now, open them. Now, fold them again. Now, notice which arm you “naturally” put on top of the other. Is it right on top of left or left on top of right? Now,…
Read MoreTHE SANDWICH BAG THIEF
THE SANDWICH BAG THIEF Parashat Ekev The businessman’s faith in G-d is constantly being tested. How much do you believe that G-d is in charge of your success, no less than you are? Your faith-o-meter, so to speak, goes up and down, according to a couple of factors. Time. How much of a workaholic are…
Read MoreMY D-O-G LOVES ME
MY D-O-G LOVES ME While writing this article, I went out for a stroll to get some fresh air. There is nothing like the summer night air of Jerusalem. Approaching me was a man with his dog. He wore a tee shirt that said, “No one understands me better than my dog.” How sad. It…
Read MoreJUST ONE MORE PRAYER
JUST ONE MORE PRAYER A central theme of our daily prayers is the Final Redemption. Eight Berachot, three times a day, revolve around this subject. Reeh Nah, Teka B’shofar, Hashiva Shoftenu, Laminim Valamalshinim, Al Hatzadikim, Tishkon Betoch, Et Tzemach and Retzeh. We implore G-d for mercy on Jerusalem each time we have a sandwich or…
Read MoreTHE PURPOSE OF CREATION
THE PURPOSE OF CREATION Shavuot The atheist believes that the world happened on its own and has no purpose. He believes we are here to survive, to make the best of it. G-d believers, though, have a question to answer. What is the purpose of Creation? What is its meaning? There are a lot of…
Read MoreTIGHTROPING BETWEEN HUMBLENESS AND HAUGHTINESS
TIGHTROPING BETWEEN HUMBLENESS AND HAUGHTINESS Parashat Behukotay In Pirkei Avot, we are taught to be very, very humble (4, 4). Generally speaking, the golden rule that our Sages suggest is in the middle of two extremes. Not too flamboyant and not too sparing. Not too courageous and not too cowardly. (Rambam Deot 1; 4)…
Read MoreAN AWESOME THOUGHT
AN AWESOME THOUGHT Parashat Behar R’ Akiva would say, Beloved is Man, for he is created in the Image of G-d.(Avot Ch. 3) What does this mean? G-d is infinite. Immortal. Immeasurable. The First and the Last. Was, Is and Will Be. He is in the Past, Present and Future, simultaneously. He is not limited…
Read MoreEGGY RELATIONSHIPS
EGGY RELATIONSHIPS Parashat Acharei Mot Relationships are like eggs. You have to know how to handle them. Held too loosely, the egg can fall and break. Held too tightly, it can be crushed, and then you are left with the white and yellow gook all over your fingers. It is a delicate balance. Relationships…
Read MoreAN ONLY CHILD
AN ONLY CHILD The Haggadah sings every year on the Seder night :כנגד ארבעה בנים דברה תורה : אחד חכם אחד רשע אחד תם ואחד שאינו יודע לשאול .The Torah referred to telling the story of the Exodus to four sons. One, the wise son. One, the evil son. One, the simple son. And one…
Read MoreLONG TERM MEMORY
LONG TERM MEMORY Everybody knows at least some of the mitzvot of Passover: clearing out the chametz from one’s home, eating matzah, and reciting the haggadah are mitzvot even some of the most assimilated Jews keep on some level. Less known, however, is the reason we perform these mitzvot: zecher leyitziat mitzrayim (remembering the miracles G-d…
Read MoreUSELESS COMPUTERS
USELESS COMPUTERS The Kotsker was quoted saying the following: We say in the Haggadah – “חכם מה הוא אומר “ the wise son, what does he say?… Why doesn’t the Haggadah just say,” חכם אומר , the wise son says…”? The Kotsker answered, “You know that a person is a חכם , wise, by…
Read MoreWANTS IN SPRING BLOSSOM
WANTS IN SPRING BLOSSOM In the month of Nissan, we have a beautiful blessing: the unique blessing on the blossoming of the trees. This blessing is unique not only because it comes only once a year, but because of what it is that we are praising in this blessing.שלא חיסר בעולמו כלום וברא בו בריות…
Read MoreTHE GOSSIP EXTINGUISHER
THE GOSSIP EXTINGUISHER Parashat Metzorah Usually, people gossip, not because they want to cause harm to other people , but because they need a topic of conversation. Nothing is juicier than gossip. Listening to gossip has the same severity as engaging in it. People often listen because they do not know how to stop the…
Read MoreThe Afterlife Article
The Afterlife Article Parashat Tzav I found that the best way for me to get used to speaking fluent Hebrew and to get familiar with Israeli slang and culture is by reading a Hebrew joke book and testing the jokes on Israeli kids. Jokes are short, so you can remember their exact wording, and this…
Read More+ or –
+ or – Parashat Vayikra Probably the hardest part of coaching is getting started. How do you begin the conversation with the person you are coaching so that they will open up? Sometimes, a person knows what he wants, so he is much easier to coach. But, more often than not, people don’t know. They…
Read MoreA PASSIONATE THOUGHT
A PASSIONATE THOUGHT Parashat Pekudei If you want to be successful at something, you need to be passionate about it. The greater the challenge to be successful, the more passion you need. Take two people. Both from similar backgrounds. Both with similar strengths and weaknesses. Both going through the same motions. Both going for the…
Read MoreBE DO HAVE
BE DO HAVE Parashat Vayakhel Life decisions are complex. It is not the surrounding circumstances that make these life decisions complex. It is defining identity that is complex. For many people, the biggest life decision is marriage. Before any life decision one makes, one must know who he is, in order to be certain that…
Read More