Thinkingaboutme.org
9 years of Parasha articles.
THE WATER IN YOUR STRAW
Click Vaera 2018 to download THE WATER IN YOUR STRAW Parashat Vaera The best producers, artists and authors know how to give the illusion that something inanimate is actually alive. So, too, G-d created the world with the illusion that it is independent of Him. This is what is meant, in the words of the Talmud, that…
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BEATING THE SYSTEM
Click shemot 2018 for download BEATING THE SYSTEM Parashat Shemot There is a sad joke that goes around the yeshiva world each year at this time. Ben Hazmanim usually starts with a fast. Tisha BAv , Yom Kippur, Taanit Esther. And Sof Zman, the beginning of the end, the decline of momentum for the weaker boys, is…
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YEHUDA – I WILL NEVER FORGET YOU
Click vayechi 2017 -2018 for download YEHUDA – I WILL NEVER FORGET YOU Parashat Vayechi Yosef’s last wish was to be buried in Eretz Yisrael. He made his brothers swear that when G-d would remember them and take them out of Egypt , they would take his bones along with them, at the Exodus. He told them,…
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THE POWER OF N.A.G.
click vayigash 2017 to download THE POWER OF N.A.G. Parashat Vayigash Self-help that the Torah offers is always more effective and genuine than the self-help ideas of the Gentiles. It is always an octave above. That is the idea of eight nights of Chanukkah, and it is the concept that we fought the Greeks about. We…
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THE GREATEST SPIN ON YOUR LIFE
Click miketz 2017 to download THE GREATEST SPIN ON YOUR LIFE Parashat Miketz The Beit Yosef asks, Why do we celebrate the miracle of the candles for eight days? There was no miracle on the first day, for all candles burn, naturally. So why don’t we celebrate only seven days? The answer of R Tzadok is a…
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THE RESPONSIBILITY OF COULD
Click vayeshev 2017 for Parasha download THE RESPONSIBILITY OF COULD Parashat Vayeshev Anyone who blesses Yehuda is disgusting to G-d. (Sanhedrin 6b) If Yehuda had the power to persuade his brothers to sell Yosef, he had the power to bring Yosef back to his father, as well. (Rashi ibid.) And because he did not take responsibility when…
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WORK SMARTER / PRAY HARDER
click vayishlach 2017 for pdf download WORK SMARTER / PRAY HARDER Parashat Vayishlach How does a person know if he is doing the right amount of Hishtadlut, or if he is overdoing it? This is the million dollar question, and one of the most common dilemmas of every-day life. It has ramifications in all areas of…
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A JEW OF ANOTHER LEVEL
click vayetze 2017 for pdf download A JEW OF ANOTHER LEVEL Parashat Vayetze Rachel gave her sister, Leah, the Simanim. She taught her the laws of family purity, of challah and of lighting candles. She could not bear to see her sister go through the embarrassment of Yaakov’s discovering that it was Leah, not Rachel, under…
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THE FULLY CHARGED LIFE
Click toldot 2017 to download PDF THE FULLY CHARGED LIFE Parashat Toldot Everyone who walks theארץ , the land, has a רצון, a will. Ask anyone you meet what would be the greatest thing that he could achieve over the next 5 years. You will always get some sort of answer, of some sort of dream,…
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AN 18 YEAR OLD SHAWARMA
Click chaye sarah 2017 to download AN 18 YEAR OLD SHAWARMA Parashat Chaye Sarah Coaching yeshiva students is my life’s passion. Usually, students fall out of “ben Torah performance” because of two factors: lack of academic achievement and lack of social blending. If one of these two is still in force, the academic or social factor,…
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MEETING WITH G-D
Click vayera 2017 for PDF download MEETING WITH G-D Parashat Vayera There was a great man I remember from my childhood, Jack Adjmi, of blessed memory. He was my best friend’s grandpa. He gave substantial amounts of charity to the shuls I grew up in. I remember how, when eulogizing him, one of his sons quoted…
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IN THE MERIT OF EMUNAH
click lech lecha 2017 for pdf download IN THE MERIT OF EMUNAH Parashat Lech Lecha Last week, at the Shabbat meal, my son came back from shul and told us all this incredible story: There was a philanthropist from America who was very close to R’ Elyashiv, and every time he came for a visit, he gave…
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HEAVYWEIGHT WHOS
HEAVYWEIGHT WHOS Parashat Noach Television, radio, advertising, movies, the Internet, newspapers, magazines, all reflect and create the culture we live in. Our emotions, opinions, and behaviors are all dependent on the culture we are part of, and our choices are dependent on whatever is the status quo of our emotions, opinions and our behaviors. The result…
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YOM KIPPUR, SHABBAT AND HYDROGEN BOMBS
click yom kippur 2017 for PDF download YOM KIPPUR, SHABBAT AND HYDROGEN BOMBS Yom Kippur Too often in life, we focus on the “what”, and forget about the who, the when and the where. So many times in life, it is not about what you did, it is about who you are that did it, when and…
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THE EQUILIBRIUM HOLIDAY
click rosh hashana 2017 for pdf download THE EQUILIBRIUM HOLIDAY Rosh Hashana Rosh Hashana is the holiday of mixed emotions. It is a day of precise judgment, but yet a day of joy. A day to tap into our humility, while we celebrate it as a holiday. I always had a hard time figuring out what state…
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THE CHAFETZ CHAIM’S FEAR
ki tavo 2017 pdf download THE CHAFETZ CHAIM’S FEAR Parashat Ki Tavo I wanted to test-drive this article with a mother of children; at first, she said she didn’t want to hear anything about it. But, in the end, she was happy she listened… I started with the Rambam. השמחה שישמח אדם בעשיית המצוה ובאהבת…
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OLAM HABA EYEBALLS
ki tetze 2017 pdf download OLAM HABA EYEBALLS Parashat Ki Tetze I recently realized what my biggest life problem is. Why I can’t focus in davening and learning. Why I can’t forgive and forget. Why I can’t make those important decisions in life when faced with crisis, or deal with conflict and chaos. It is…
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Oh My G-d!
Oh My G-d! Parashat Shoftim One of the most powerful parts of Selichot is, שומר ישראל שמור שארית ישראל ואל יאבד ישראל האומרים בכל יום שמע ישראל. Oh! Watcher of Israel, Watch over the remainder of Israel, and do not allow Israel to be lost, those who say each day, Shema Yisrael. The power we…
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JUDAISM 50% OFF
JUDAISM 50% OFF Three Weeks In this week’s Parasha, the Midrash says אֶ֚לֶף לַמַּטֶּ֔ה אֶ֖לֶף לַמַּטֶּ֑ה לְכֹל֙ מַטּ֣וֹת יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל תִּשְׁלְח֖וּ לַצָּבָֽא: When Moshe sent men from the Tribes to fight against Moab, G-d told him to send out a thousand from each Tribe, a thousand from each Tribe, for all the Tribes of Israel, you…
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RELIGION OR RELATIONSHIP?
RELIGION OR RELATIONSHIP? Parashat Pinhas Many rabbis are of the opinion that Eliyahu Hanavi was originally Pinchas. The Baal Haturim points to the words in the beginning of this week’s Parasha, לָכֵ֖ן אֱמֹ֑ר הִנְנִ֨י נֹתֵ֥ן ל֛וֹ אֶת־בְּרִיתִ֖י שָׁלֽוֹם and makes note of the small letter Vav in the word שלום . The Vav is mentioned…
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THE WAY HEAVEN WORKS
THE WAY HEAVEN WORKS Parashat Balak There is a power that is the greatest power in the Universe. It is a power that we all have at our disposal, 24/7. With this power, we are able to change our destiny. We are able to accomplish the unconceivable. We are able to change the world. The…
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ALLOWING G-D TO DO HIS THING
ALLOWING G-D TO DO HIS THING Parashat Hukat לעושה נפלאות גדולות לבדו כי לעולם חסדו To the One Who does great wonders alone, for His kindness is everlasting. (Tehillim 136) The Zohar asks, Why does it say that G-d does His miracles alone? Of course He does everything alone! The answer is that G-d does…
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YOU CAN’T HAVE THE JOB
YOU CAN’T HAVE THE JOB Parashat Korach וקרח שפיקח היה מה ראה לשטות הזה? אלא, עינו הטעתו – ראה שלשלת גדולה עומדת הימנו, שמואל ששקול כמשה ואהרן שנאמר(תהלים צט): ‘משה ואהרן בכהניו ושמואל בקוראי שמו’ … עשרים וארבעה משמרות עומדות מבני בניו שכולם מתנבאים ברוה”ק… אמר אפשר כל הגדולה הזאת עתידה לעמוד ממני ואני אדום? Korah…
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WITH R’ ARUSH IN THE FOREST
WITH R’ ARUSH IN THE FOREST Parashat Shlach Not listening to music in Sefirah is something I have difficulty with. I need music to relax while driving, to block out noise when writing in my house, and so I asked a friend what he listens to in Sefirah. He pulled a disc out of his…
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DO LESS. BE MORE.
DO LESS. BE MORE. Parashat B’haalotcha The other day, I was speaking to the head of a yeshiva of about 150 boys. He sounded so calm and collected on the phone. So, I asked him how he stays so relaxed. How does he manage his stress? I wished I could be less stressful, myself! What…
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WISHING TO BE A JANITOR
WISHING TO BE A JANITOR Shavuoth Shavuoth is more than a holiday. It is a day of judgement. The Talmud tells us that on Shavuoth the world is judged, regarding the trees (Rosh Hashana 16a). And we know,כי האדם עץ השדה For Man is the tree of the field (Shoftim 20;19). According to the Zohar,…
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GET OFF MY TRICYCLE!!
GET OFF MY TRICYCLE!! Parashat Behar Behukotay I remember the first time I decided to help out teenage kids at risk. A certain teenage boy from a religious family, who was “on his way out” of religion, came into my life. I wanted to know whether or not I was wasting my time trying to…
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A Lag B’Omer Lesson
A Lag B’Omer Lesson Parashat Emor I got a call the other day from New York. It was from a girl who was dating, who was confused. “I want to marry a boy that is learning. The boy I am dating wants to learn in Kollel for a few years. But I do not want…
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THE MITZVAH OF TACT
THE MITZVAH OF TACT Parashat Kedoshim Subtle or seemingly minor grammatical changes can give a completely new meaning to words. The laws of dikduk of the Hebrew language are extremely important, and unfortunately, most people who know Hebrew neither learn them nor know them. A common mistake people make about Lashon Hakodesh is believing that…
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YOUR BIGGEST LIE
YOUR BIGGEST LIE Purim There is a mysterious personality in the Purim Story. Hatach. A.k.a. Daniel, the Prophet. He was sent back and forth from Esther to Mordechai, to relay messages. Suddenly, Hatach disappears. Where did he go? According to the Midrash, Haman saw Hatach going back and forth, and he suspected that something fishy…
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LAUGHOTHERAPY
LAUGHOTHERAPY Hodesh Adar Humor is such a powerful tool. It can be used to do the worst things possible, like making a good, kosher, modest woman into a Sotah. (Sotah 7a) And it can do the best possible thing, like getting people interested in learning Torah. (Shabbat 30b) The Baal HaTanya (Chapter 7) writes how…
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WHEN MINORITY WINS
WHEN MINORITY WINS Parashat Mishpatim The Grammar laws of the Hebrew Language are so important. אחרי רבים להטות (23:2) Does not mean Follow the majority. Rather it means “Incline toward the majority.” What is the difference? Why does the Torah use the word incline and not הרוב קובע, the majority wins? Because the majority does not always…
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WHY NOT LIE? Parashat Yitro In his book The (Honest) Truth About Dishonesty, Dan Ariely, professor of psychology and behavioral economics at Duke University, scientifically tested in great detail how and why humans lie, and what makes it easier or harder for them to keep to the truth. His research was done on college students.…
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ELEPHANT IN THE LIVING ROOM
ELEPHANT IN THE LIVING ROOM Parashat Beshalach Rabbi Meir the Great, of Premishlan (1703–1773), disciple of the Baal Shem Tov has a great Hassidic twist on the words we say every day in אז ישיר. זה א-לי ואנוהו אלקי אבי וארממנהו. This is my G-d and I will glorify Him, the G-d of my father and I will…
Read MoreTHE THREE DRIVES OF MAN
THE THREE DRIVES OF MAN Parashat Bo Over the last few years, psychology has discovered and revealed what the Torah has been teaching about human behavior for thousands of years. First, psychology taught that material desires were the main motivation for a person’s actions. Later, an equally powerful drive, that of the ego, was recognized. …
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