Thinkingaboutme.org
9 years of Parasha articles.
PURIM 2012
THE MASKED YOU Everybody knows there is a minhag (custom) to dress in costumes on Purim. This minhag is not just a playful, childish activity : there is deep significance behind the masks and costumes we wear on Purim. A mask or costume hides one’s identity. This theme of hiding one’s identity is one we…
Read MoreTEZAVEH (ZACHOR)
CHILLING WITH AMALEK G-d told Moshe to pass on the message that He is at constant war with Amalek, in each and every generation. In each generation we must ask ourselves to identify the current Amalek, who is continuing the age-old war against recognizing the monarchy of G-d. Who is the today’s Amalek…
Read MoreTERUMAH – Rosh Chodesh ADAR
LOVE OF “WANTS” The Mishkan and Shabbat have a lot in common. We learn all the 39 forbidden categories of “work” (things that are not to be done) on Shabbat from the 39 kinds of labor that were done in order to erect the Mishkan. We are taught about Shabbat also in Parashat Ki Tisa,…
Read MoreMISHPATIM – SHEKALIM
3D LISTENING Early one morning, I sat down next to my study partner, who was acting pretty strangely. He had one eye closed and was looking with his open eye at his hands, as he slowly moved them toward and away from one another. I asked him what on earth he was doing. He told…
Read MoreYITRO – english
Perspectives of Wealth I was coaching a young client who went to work. He was under a lot of stress. He wanted to be successful while studying in college. This, in itself, is not a problem. However, this boy believed that in order to be successful, one has to make it big.…
Read MoreBESHALACH- english
STIMULATION OF THE SENSES Generally, pleasure or enjoyment involves stimulation of any one of the five senses, which are where most pleasures are found. We enjoy tasting certain foods and seeing a nice view of nature or a beautiful painting. Usually, the place where we chose to…
Read MoreENGLISH – PARASHAT BO
A LESSON FROM AN OLD EGYPTIAN WOMAN The human mind’s ability to believe whatever it wants against all odds is fascinating. The Midrash Hagadol writes the following story: Moshe prophesied in Egypt about the coming plague of the Firstborn. He mentioned that there will be a great outcry in all the land of Egypt, that…
Read Moreenglish – va'era
THE HARDEST WORKERS OF THE WORLD The Rambam wrote in a letter to his son, R’ Avraham, that Pharaoh is none other than the Evil Inclination. R’ M. Shwab writes that if we can learn the story and behaviorisms of Pharaoh, then we can learn the story and behaviorisms of our Evil Inclination. By…
Read Moreshemot – english
MEMOIRS OF GRATITUDE Moshe was reluctant to take the position of leading the Jews out of Egypt. He justified his reticence to G-d by saying: I am not a man of words … for I have a heavy mouth…
Read MorePARASHAT VAYECHI
IN LOVING MEMORY OF REUVEN BEN SARA AND CHANA BAT HENYA Being Me / Dissipating Stress One never gets burned out from being himself. “Burn-out” happens when a person tries to be someone he is not, and then finds that it is impossible! The Hebrew word for stress is מתח. This word מתח is also…
Read Morevayigash – english
Yehuda = Honesty, Nobility and Responsibility The inner strength of Yehuda during stressful times got him very far. Many of us know that the HolyTemplein Jerusalemwas situated in the portions of Yehuda and Binyamin. The reason for the Templebeing located in Binyamin’s lot was for something he did not do. All the tribes, excluding Binyamin,…
Read MoreMIKETZ – english
KEEP DREAMING One of the greatest gifts G-d bestowed on mankind is the ability to dream and imagine. Imagination is a tool that – when properly utilized – can transform the present into the future, helping us move from pain to pleasure, from confinement to liberty. It can trigger in us both the ambition and…
Read Moreenglish- Vayeshev
UNDERSTANDING DESTINY AND FREE WILL The well-known mishnah in Pirkei Avot tells us that “everything is foretold” (3:19). In a similar vein, the equally well-known piyut, Yigdal, reminds us that G-d “sees to the end of an action from its outset.” Furthermore, we know that the events of the present are pre-ordained on Rosh…
Read Morevayishlach – english
PROBLEMATIC PERSUASION After Shechem raped Yaakov’s daughter, Dina, something very strange happened. He spoke to the heart of the girl (Bereishit 34:3). Rashi informs us that he persuaded her by saying: See how your father spent an enormous sum of money for a small plot of land. I will marry you, and you will own…
Read MoreVAYETZE – ENGLISH
TRUE LOVE We find a perplexing passuk with regard to Yaakov’s love for Rachel. In describing the seven years Yaakov was forced to wait before he could marry Rachel, the Torah tells us: He felt that they were like just a few days due to his love for…
Read Moreenglish- toldot
THE CHALLENGES OF THE FFB (FRUM FROM BIRTH) Both Yitzchak and Rivkah had to pray hard until G-d granted them children. But a close look at the beginning of our parashah reveals that G-d actually answered the prayers of Yitzchak, not the prayers of Rivkah (Yevamot 64a). What was the reason for this? The…
Read Moreenglish – chaye sara
SIBLING RIVALRY IS MORE THAN KIDS’ STUFF The Midrash (Rabba 56) provides some of the details missing from the Torah’s account of the Akeidah (the “Binding of Isaac”). Among other things, it tells us just what kind of approach Satan used in trying to trip up Avraham and…
Read Moreenglish – vayera
HOW TO FOCUS ON PRAYER We all want to pray with full concentration, yet our minds wander so often. This makes prayer pretty frustrating. The truth is that today, more than ever before, staying focused is a difficult goal for much of humanity. Is there any effective technique that will help us to stay…
Read Morespanish – vayera
Cómo concentrarse durante la tefilá Todos anhelamos rezar con suma concentración, pero muy a menudo nos distraemos y nos llenamos de frustración. La verdad es que en la actualidad, mantener la concentración es una meta…
Read Moreenglish – lech lecha
WHAT WE CAN LEARN FROM AVRAHAM’S DEFENSE OF JUDAISM “Street-smart” people know how to deal with sticky situations. Not all of us are blessed with their talents. Indeed, even they may not be aware of how they naturally behave. I would like to examine one of the techniques used by the “street-smart personality,”…
Read MoreNoach – english
A MESSAGE FROM A DOVE At the end of forty days of rain Noah sent a raven and afterward a dove to verify whether the floodwater had subsided. The dove returned to Noah with an olive tree branch in its beak. The Talmud (Eiruvin 18b) explains that the dove here relayed to Noach the…
Read Moreenglish – sukkot
The Sukkot Festival – Zman Simchateinu The Torah emphasizes that Sukkot is a joyous holiday. Indeed, it commands us not once, but twice, to be joyful on Sukkot: “Rejoice in your festival…and be totally joyous” –ושמחת בחגך…והיית אך שמח ; and “Rejoice before the Lord, your G-d, for seven days” – ושמחתם לפני ה’…
Read Morespanish – sukkot
La Festividad de Sucot –Zman Simjatenu La Torá pone hincapié en que Sucot es una festividad alegre. De hecho, nos ordena dos veces que debemos regocijarnos en Sucot: “Regocíjate en la fiesta… y sé totalmente feliz” – ושמחת בחגך… והיית אך שמח, y “Regocijaos ante Hashem, vuestro Di-s, durante siete días “- ושמחתם לפני ה ‘אלוקיכם שבעת…
Read Morefrench – sukkot
La fête de Souccot – Zman sim’haténou La Torah met l’accent sur le fait que Souccot est un jour de fête joyeux. En effet, elle nous ordonne non pas une, mais deux fois, d’être joyeux durant Souccot : “Réjouis-toi dans ta fête… et sois totalement joyeux” – ושמחת בחגך … והיית אך שמח et aussi…
Read Moreenglish – yom kippur
SHORTCUT TO FORGIVENESS Not many hours lie between us and the sealing of our fate for the upcoming year. We cannot afford to waste time. This situation causes pressure for many of us. How are…
Read Morespanish – yom kippur
UN ACCESO DIRECTO AL PERDÓN No nos quedan muchas horas hasta el sellado de nuestro destino para el año entrante. No podemos darnos el lujo de tomarnos unas vacaciones, lo cual pone en tensión a varios de nosotros. ¿Cómo lograremos completar nuestra “agenda de teshuvá” antes de Iom Kipur? Los Sabios nos enseñan que…
Read Morefrench – yom kippur
RACCOURCI POUR LE PARDON Nous ne sommes plus qu’à quelques heures de la nouvelle année qui va sceller notre destinée. Il n’y a pas de temps à perdre ! Cette situation provoque un stress pour beaucoup d’entre nous. Comment allons-nous compléter notre “agenda Techouva” avant Yom Kippour ? . Nos Rabbanim enseignent qu’il…
Read Moreenglish – nitzavim vayelech
THE MEANING OF TESHUVA The Talmud gives us an example of when a sinner can be considered a genuine Baal Teshuvah (penitent): If he refrains from sinning a second time when he encounters the same woman at the same place and time where he had previously sinned (Yoma 86b). This is…
Read Morespanish- nitzavim vayelech
El significado de la teshuvá Para indicar cuándo un pecador es considerado un verdadero Baal Teshuvá, el Talmud nos da un ejemplo: Si se abstiene de pecar por segunda vez cuando se encuentra con la misma mujer en el mismo lugar y hora que pecó en el pasado (Iomá 86b ). Esta es una prueba…
Read Morefrench – nitzavim vayelech
EN FIN DE COMPTE, QU’EST-CE QU’UN BAAL TECHOUVA ? Le Talmud nous donne un exemple de cas où un homme ayant fauté peut être considéré comme un véritable baal Techouva Baal (pénitent) : S’il s’abstient de pécher une seconde fois quand il rencontre la même femme, au même…
Read Moreenglish – ki tavo
PREPARING FOR ROSH HA’SHANAH I once overheard a conversation that echoes in my ears every year around this season. A young son of a rabbi who was looking to become wealthy asked one of his father’s wealthy congregants how…
Read Morefrench ki tavo
PRÉPARATION POUR ROCH HACHANA Un jour, j’ai surpris une conversation qui résonne encore dans mes oreilles chaque année à cette époque : un jeune garçon, fils de Rav qui souhaitait devenir riche, demanda à l’un des fidèles fortunés de son père comment il pouvait y parvenir. “Cela prend seulement une journée par an”, lui répondit l’homme…
Read Morespanish – ki tavo
PREPARÁNDONOS PARA ROSH HASHANÁ Cierta vez escuché una conversación que se me vuelve a la mente todos los años alrededor de esta fecha. Se trataba del hijo pequeño de un rabino que soñaba con ser rico y le preguntó a un hombre pudiente, concurrente de la sinagoga de su padre: “¿cómo puedo hacerme rico?”. A lo que…
Read Moreenglish ki tetze
READY FOR WAR כי תצא למלחמה על איוביך ונתת ד’ אלקיך בידך ושבית שביו (כא:י) When you go out to war against your enemy, and Hashem, your G-d, gives you victory… Our Sages tell us that this passuk is hinting at going to war against the Evil Inclination, our worst enemy. As the Chovot HaLevovot…
Read Morefrench ki teitze
Prêts pour la guerre כי תצא למלחמה על איוביך ונתת ד ‘אלקיך בידך ושבית שביו (כא: י) Quand tu sortiras en guerre contre ton ennemi, et que Hachem ton D.ieu te donnera la victoire… Nos Sages nous disent que ce passouk fait allusion à la guerre contre le mauvais penchant, notre pire ennemi. Comme c’est…
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